The gunman who hijacked a passenger bus on Thursday afternoon in the capital was shot dead by police, local media said.

The gunman, who remains to be unidentified, boarded the HM Transport Bus along Taft Avenue in Manila at round 2 p.m. local time, declaring to take the passengers as hostage, local radio station DZMM reported.

Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno told the radio station in an interview after the incident that when policemen saw a female passenger was seized by the gunman, one of them went to the driver 's side of the bus and shot the gunman.

The gunman was rushed to the nearby Philippine General Hospital where he was declared dead. The female hostage was unharmed, according to DZMM.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada told the media that there was "no negotiation" with the gunman.

"When they (police) saw an opportunity, they shot him," said Estrada in an interview on DZMM.

(Xinhua)