At least five employees died and 12 other people were injured on Thursday after an explosion at a chemical factory in Yokkaichi City, central Japan, local police and fire authorities said. The blast occurred at around 2:10 p.m. (0510 GMT) at the plant run by Mitsubishi Materials while workers were replacing and cleaning parts, Mie prefectural police told reporters. Seventeen people were taken to hospital after the explosion, of whom five dead, it said. The factory mainly produces silicon materials, according to the firm.