Blast at sports hall in Philippines: 10 dead

Authorities said the home-made explosive device exploded in the town of Parang, Maguindanao province and was apparently planted by political rivals of the local town mayor, Vivencio Bataga, who survived the attack.

"The mayor was wounded but he is fine. I saw 10 people dead," said town councilor Gaudencio Teves, adding that 40 others were rushed to different hospitals.

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Many of those injured by shrapnel and the stampede that followed were children and women, police said, while a man believed to have planted the bomb was among the fatalities.

Regional police chief Isnadji Bantala said no-one had claimed responsibility for the bombing, but ruled out involvement of Muslim separatists and the Al-Qaeda linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group.

"This is something political. Bataga survived similar attacks in the past," Bantala said. "Bataga is believed to be the target."

Bataga is a former army colonel who is seeking re-election in the May 2004 polls, and police said he survived at least three attempts on his life last year.

Bataga is also reportedly a staunch anti-insurgency campaigner in Maguindanao, where Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels operate, officials said.

Bloodied shoes and mismatched slippers and other debris littered the gymnasium floor, as local Red Cross officials appealed for blood donations, Teves said.