The death toll in a firecracker factory blast in the Philippines rose to eight as rescuers continued to scour the rubble on Friday in search for factory workers reported still missing, local officials said.
Forty-three people were wounded in the huge explosion on Thursday in the sprawling compound of Starmaker Fireworks Factory in Trece Martires town in Cavite province, 25 kilometres south of Manila, according to town Mayor Melencio de Sagun.
De Sagun said most of the wounded have been allowed to go home after being treated in hospital, but two remained in critical condition due to severe burns.
He said his office was still trying to confirm the number of missing because of conflicting reports. Some reports said up to 19 people were still missing, but police said only two were missing.
The explosion was so powerful that it destroyed the sprawling factory, while glass panels of houses within a three-kilometre radius were shattered, dpa reported.
Police have not yet established the cause of the blast at the factory, which had manufactured fireworks for two decades. The company is a known maker of quality fireworks, and its products were exported to other countries.