Three students are dead and eight others injured, four critically, in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines.

The shooting unfolded at Banga National High School in the town of Banga, in South Cotabato province, about 1pm on Friday local time.

Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said three students were declared dead after being taken to a local hospital, including the suspected gunman.

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Palencia said the suspected shooter, a 16-year-old boy, took his own life.

The victims were aged between 14 and 17.

“The suspect supposedly sat beside his friends and told them ​to go home ‘because after lunch, I will be executing my plan’. His friends laughed because the shooter was a known joker,” Palencia told Reuters.

“After lunch, he started shooting students. He hit 10 students ​before killing himself,” Palencia added.

Police had earlier confirmed a shooting had taken place, as authorities worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Philippines’ Department of Education said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of the shooting.

“Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers and school personnel,” it said in a statement.

The department said it was working with authorities to verify details of the incident and provide necessary support.

“We urge everyone to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information as authorities continue their investigation.”

The shooting is the latest in a series of deadly incidents at schools in the Philippines in recent months.

Last month, a student live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student ​in a classroom in Zamboanga, in the country’s south, before taking his own life.

In June, at ‌least ⁠three students were killed and about 20 others injured in an attack at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire on campus.

- With Reuters