A tank explosion at a soybean oil factory situated in the central Brazilian city of Formosa has claimed the lives of three workers.

The victims were cleaning the tank when the blast happened, killing all three on the spot, sources close to the Military Police announced on Monday.

The explosion triggered flames, which local firefighters arriving on the scene quickly brought under control.

Firefighters also helped cool down other tanks and machinery in the plant to prevent another incident.

MJ/DT