12 factory workers killed in Philippines blast

A boiler at a Styrofoam packaging plant exploded in the Philippines on Tuesday evening

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Anita Vallejo is comforted by a relative as they wait to retrieve the body of her son Eduardo in Santa Maria,u00a0Philippines, today. Her son was killed in the explosion in a Styrofoam factory.u00a0Pic/AP

Twelve factory workers were killed and five injured when a boiler at a Styrofoam packaging plant exploded in the Philippines.

The explosion occurred late last evening as night shift employees worked at the factory in Santa Maria town in Bulacan province, just north of Manila.

The town's police chief, superintendent Marcos Rivero, said five workers died on the spot, while others were trapped under concrete and steel debris as the blast destroyed the factory.

"The explosion was very powerful," he said. "Some of the fatalities were buried in rubble while others died while undergoing treatment in nearby hospitals."

Rivero said rescuers were checking if there were workers still trapped in the debris. He said an initial investigation showed the boiler overheated, causing it to explode.