Three die in Mindinao blast

The police in the Philippines say there has been a bomb explosion in the town of Moncayou on the southern island of Mindanao.

The police say three people were killed when the bomb went off -- in the middle of a carnival on Monday evening.

More than thirty others were injured -- either as a result of the blast itself or in the panic which broke out when people tried to flee to safety. One report says that twelve of the injured are in a critical condition.

The security forces in the Philippines have launched a man-hunt in an attempt to find those responsible. It is not known who carried out the bombing, but local officials say they suspect it is the work of local separatists or communist guerillas.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service