AKIPRESS.COM - Thirty-six bodies have been found inside Resorts World Manila, after an attack by a lone gunman who fired shots and set fire to gambling tables in the early hours of Friday morning, according to Philippines police, CNN reported.

The victims did not appear to have been shot but are thought to have died of suffocation, Southern Police District Director Superintendent Tomas Apolinario said Friday. "Most of the victims were women who were found dead inside the bathroom," he added.

Thick smoke from fires set by the suspect delayed a search of the building, but officers later discovered them during clearing operations, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Oscar Albayalde said.

All of the bodies were found in the resort's casino area, which was heavily carpeted and where all the windows were locked, he said.

Despite recent militant activity in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, police ruled out terrorism as the motive for the attack. The attacker later committed suicide, they said.