5 dead as Rizal power plant scaffolding collapses

(Updated 6:54 a.m., 4 February 2013) At least five workers were were killed after the scaffolding they were working on at a power plant in Rizal province collapsed Sunday afternoon, the Philippine National Police said Monday. Pililia town police chief Senior Inspector Resty Soriano said on dzBB radio that the five were trapped in the Malaya power-plant's smokestack after the collapse. The plant is located in Barangay Malaya in Pililia town. Citing initial reports, Soriano said some 17 workers were cleaning the smokestack of the power plant when the mishap occured at about 1 p.m. The Senior Inspector said the smokestack was eight meters wide and 65 to 70 meters high. "Ongoing ang retrieval operations,”  added Soriano. The plant manager had stopped the plant's operations for now. — DVM, GMA News