Philippines: Three dead and eight injured in shooting at Banga high school

Image source, Philippine Red Cross/Facebook Image caption, Philippine Red Cross workers and local rescue personnel were on the scene

A 16-year-old gunman has shot two students dead and injured eight others at a Philippine high school, before killing himself.

The two deceased victims were 14-year-old pupils at a school in Banga in the southern province of Mindanao, the local mayor told the BBC.

Albert Palencia said four of the injured were in critical condition.

The education department said in a statement it was "deeply concerned" by the reported incident which took place on Friday afternoon at Banga National High School.

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 department said, adding it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide necessary support.