A bus carrying 21 tourists and one tour guide from Hong Kong was hijacked in the Philippine capital Manila on Monday morning, manager of Hongthai travel agency Lau Mei-sze has confirmed. 

A police officer turned into a hostage taker stands at the entrance of a bus containing passengers who have been taken hostage while parked near Quirino Grandstand in Manila August 23, 2010. [Xinhua]

Lau said six tourists including three children, 2 adults and one tour guide, had been released by the abductors.

She said the 22 Hong Kongers had planned to come back to Hong Kong on Monday evening.

Joseph Tung, the executive director of Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC), said the passengers were aged between 4 and 72. He said the TIC was in close contacts with the Security Bureau of the Hong Kong government.

Xinhua also contacted the Security Bureau but has not yet received any response.