Authorities in the Philippines say a powerful explosion has killed at least three people and wounded 27 others in a hotel filled with wedding guests.

Police said they had found traces of a bomb in the ruins of the budget hotel hours after the Sunday night blast in the port city of Zamboanga on Mindanao island.

The force of the blast destroyed the upper floor of the two-story building. A fire that followed the explosion swept through the ground floor.

Although no group has claimed responsibility, Zamboanga is located in a region occupied by al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, who operate on nearby Basilan island.