Shooting at high school in Mindanao, Philippines results in casualties

Three people have been killed in a shooting at a high school in Banga in the southern Philippines, and eight injured.

Two of the victims were 14-year-old students, Banga mayor Albert Palencia told the BBC. The gunman, 16, is among the dead, he said, while four of those injured are in a critical condition.

The incident happened on Friday afternoon at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, in Mindanao province.

The Department of Education said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned by the reported shooting incident".

This is the third deadly school shooting in the Philippines since June this year.

"Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers and school personnel," the education ministry said, adding it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide necessary support.

"We urge everyone to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information as authorities continue their investigation."

Palencia told the Reuters news agency that during a lunchtime conversation on Friday, the gunman had urged friends to go home "because after lunch, [he would] be executing [his] plan".

"His friends laughed because the shooter was a known joker," Palencia told the news agency.

"After lunch, he started shooting students. He hit 10 students before killing himself."

Classes have been suspended "in all levels in the entire municipality of Banga" due to the shooting, the Banga disaster management authorities said in a statement.