<sod >Witnesses described seeing flashes of light high up in the tower.< eod>< sod > Witnesses described seeing flashes of light high up in the towerÂ of theÂ MandalayÂ Bay HotelÂ and a noise "like firecrackers" as a "clip after clip" was unloaded into the crowdÂ of 40,000 people.< eod>