Manila: Three of the Hong Kong hostages, shot dead by hostage taker Rolando Mendoza in Manila on August 23, have been identified, according to the testimonies of two witnesses who survived the incident.

Ken Leung Kam Wing, 58, a former managing director of Stadium Asia, a Britain-based electronics firm, died while attempting to shield his wife Amy Leung Ng Yau-woon, from the hostage-taker's gunfire, Joe Chan Kwok-chu, 46, told members of the Philippines' Incident Investigation Review Committee. Joe survived but his wrists were broken after he used a heavy backpack to cover himself when the dismissed policeman, who was demanding to be reinstated, started shooting in the bus.

Bravery

Joe's story was corroborated by Leung's wife Amy Leung Ng Yau-woon who said:"He was very brave. He tried to prevent the gunman from killing others and he got shot himself."

During Mendoza's shooting rampage, Ken's daughter, Jessie Leung Songyi, 14, jumped up and saved the life of her brother Jason Leung Song Xue, 19, when the hostage-taker suddenly turned on him, according to Joe and Amy.

No one could ascertain how Doris Leung Chung-see, 21, another daughter of the Leung family, died.

Right now, Jason is still fighting for his life at the Tuen Mun Hospital in Hong Kong, after undergoing critical head surgery in Manila.

Human shield

During the shooting rampage, the hostage-taker grabbed Hong Kong Chinese tour guide Masa Tse Ting-chunn, 31, and handcuffed him to the door of the tourist bus. Chan told how Masa was then shot in the head by the hostage-taker.

Mendoza had intended to use the man as a human shield, Joe said. The tour guide had angered him when earlier in the day he used his mobile phone to alert the Hong Kong authorities about the incident and also distributed lunches to the nervous tourists.

When an endless round of gunfire was heard coming from outside the bus and tear gas was smelt inside, Mendoza got up and walked to the front of the vehicle. As soon as he came into view however, he was killed by a marksman, Joe said.

Another witness, Tracey Wong Cheuk-yiu, 15, the daughter of the Wong family, which suffered three deaths in the tragic incident, told how just before the tour guide was shot, the hostage-taker began firing into the air. She added that gun shots were being fired into the bus from outside.

After the shooting incident, when she was brought to hospital, Tracey confided how she had hidden under a chair in the bus after the hostage taker was killed. "Police threw in tear gas and many people could hardly breath," she said.

Her brother, Jason Wong Ching-yat, 12 was one of the few who survived. He had earlier released earlier.