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