 |
| Mexican Soldiers work at the site of an explosion at the headquarters of Mexican oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on Feb. 1, 2013. The death toll from a powerful explosion at the headquarters of PEMEX has risen to 32, the head of the company said Friday. (Xinhua/Pedro Mera) |
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a powerful explosion at the headquarters of Mexican oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has risen to 32, the head of the company said Friday.
"At the moment we have confirmed 32 deaths," Emilio Lozoya Austin told a press conference, adding that 52 people remained hospitalized.
The cause of the explosion is still unclear, he said.
The explosion occurred Thursday at around 3:55 p.m. local time (1955 GMT) in the lower floors of the 211-meter Pemex Tower in downtown Mexico City. More than 100 people were injured.
Usually, 200 to 250 people work on the worst-affected floors Lozoya said. About 7,000 people work in the building.
A search for possible survivors was continuing.
Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said Thursday that some 500 rescuers, including sailors and soldiers, were at the scene, "using all the resources of the authorities to investigate and determine the causes of the accident."
The minister added that he would wait for the results of the analysis, which he said would be announced "with transparency" and "in a timely manner."
The official said the cause of the explosion was still unknown and asked reporters "not to speculate."
Local media have suggested the cause could range from a heating problem to a possible attack.
President Pena Nieto expressed "solidarity with the relatives of those who unfortunately lost their lives to this unfortunate fact" on his Twitter account.
|
