3 dead in murder in hotel room in the Philippines | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Three dead in murder in hotel room in the Philippines

TAGAYTAY, Philippines – Two Australian citizens and their Filipino companion were killed at a hotel in a popular resort south of the Philippine capital. Police are trying to identify and track down the suspects, officials said Thursday.

A hotel employee found the bodies of the victims, whose hands and feet were bound, in a room at the Lake Hotel in the city of Tagaytay, south of Manila, on Wednesday, a police statement said.

The motive for the killings was not immediately clear, Tagaytay police chief Charles Daven Capagcuan told the Associated Press, adding that the suspect did not take some of the victims’ valuables, including their cellphones.

“We were shocked by this incident,” said Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino, apologizing to the victims’ families. “Our condolences to our Australian friends. We will resolve the matter as soon as possible.”

The victims are believed to be a man in his 50s from Australia, his Philippine-born partner who had acquired Australian citizenship, and her Filipino relative.

Investigators interviewed witnesses and examined the hotel’s security cameras, which included footage that showed a man wearing a mask, hoodie and carrying a shoulder bag leaving the victims’ room hours before the bodies were discovered, Capagcuan said.

Tower of a French cathedral catches fire

PARIS – A small fire broke out Thursday in the tower of the medieval Rouen Cathedral, a landmark in northern France, which is currently undergoing renovations, but the blaze was quickly brought under control, authorities said.

Witnesses reported on French television that they had seen smoke rising from the tower shortly after noon, recalling a devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2019 in which the tower toppled and the roof collapsed.

Considered a Gothic masterpiece, the 12th-century Rouen Cathedral is popular, not least because of a series of paintings by the impressionist Claude Monet that capture its asymmetrical west façade. It is also the tallest church in France and one of the tallest cathedrals in the world. It is known for its three towers, each built in a different style.

Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol first posted on the social media platform X around midday that “a fire had broken out on the tower of Rouen Cathedral”.

Less than 90 minutes later, Stephane Gouezec of the Seine-Maritime fire service said the fire had been located – about 120 metres high – and brought under control. Crews were working to ensure there were no more “hotspots”, he added.

However, he told reporters that the risk of flame spread was low because the fire broke out in an area that was mostly metal.

Cape Town must expect further storms and floods

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The South African city of Cape Town and surrounding areas were hit by more storms on Thursday, ripping roofs off houses and causing widespread flooding. At least 4,500 people were forced to evacuate their homes and at least 15,000 buildings were damaged, authorities said. The devastating weather began a week ago.

Since late last week, several cold fronts have battered the region at the southwestern tip of Africa, bringing record rainfall and squalls in some parts. City authorities said the bad weather was expected to continue through the weekend and possibly into next week.

The Wynberg district of Cape Town was littered with destruction on Thursday morning after the latest storm surge hit overnight. The strong winds ripped off roofs, destroyed parts of houses and other buildings and tore down electricity pylons.

The City of Cape Town said its disaster management centre worked through the night to respond to calls for help from residents.

Ahead of the latest storm on Wednesday evening, at least 4,500 people were displaced and 15,000 buildings were damaged in and around Cape Town and the wider Western Cape province. These numbers are expected to rise.

Miner dies after earthquake in Poland

WARSAW, Poland — One of the Polish miners injured in an earthquake at the Rydultowy coal mine on Thursday has died in hospital, a mining official in southern Poland said. At least 17 miners were injured in the accident.

The quake occurred deep underground when an earthquake was recorded in this part of Poland, but it was not clear whether the two events were related.

The head of the Polish coal mining group, Leszek Pietraszek, said the miner died late Thursday but gave no further details.

The search for a missing miner has been suspended due to the high risk of further earthquakes, said Piotr Litwa, head of the High Office for Mining.

Seventy-seven miners were brought to the surface, 17 of whom were hospitalized immediately after the quake. One of them was flown by helicopter to a major hospital in the city of Katowice with head injuries, officials said. Some of the injured were later released from the hospital.

Vehicles drive past in front of the Lake Hotel in Tagaytay city, south of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, July 11, 2024. Two Australian citizens and a Filipino companion were killed at the Lake Hotel and police are currently trying to identify and track down suspects, officials said. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A security guard tries to stop a photographer from taking photos outside the Lake Hotel in Tagaytay, south of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, July 11, 2024. Two Australian citizens and a Filipino companion were killed at the Lake Hotel and police are scrambling to identify and track down suspects, officials said. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Filipino relatives wait at a morgue in Silang, Cavite province, south of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, July 11, 2024. Two Australian citizens and their Filipino companion were killed at the Lake Hotel and police are currently trying to identify and track down suspects, officials said. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Tagaytay Mayor Abraham N. Tolentino (left) speaks with Tagaytay Police Chief Lt. Col. Charles Daven Capagcuan at a morgue in Silang, Cavite province, south of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, July 11, 2024. Two Australian citizens and their Filipino companion were killed at the Lake Hotel and police are currently trying to identify and trace suspects, officials said. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Filipino relatives wait at a morgue in Silang, Cavite province, south of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, July 11, 2024. Two Australian citizens and their Filipino companion were killed at the Lake Hotel and police are currently trying to identify and track down suspects, officials said. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

In this photo from video provided by the Cavite Provincial Police Office, a man, whom police identified as a suspect, walks down a hallway before entering a room at a hotel in Tagaytay, Cavite province, south of Manila, Philippines, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. Two Australian citizens and a Filipino companion were killed at a hotel in a popular resort south of the Philippine capital, and police are scrambling to identify and track down the suspects, officials said Thursday. (Cavite Provincial Police Office via AP)

People make their way through waterlogged passages in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday. (AP/Nardus Engelbrecht)