Rescuers work at the headquarters of Mexico's oil giant PEMEX after an explosion in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on Jan. 31, 2013. A powerful blast ripped through the landmark headquarters of Mexico's oil giant PEMEX in Mexico City on Thursday, killing 14 person, injuring more than 80 others and causing extensive damage to the building, according to local press.(Xinhua/Pedro Mera)
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- An explosion at the headquarters of Mexican oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) here Thursday has killed at least 25 people and injured 101 others, according to authorities.
The number of casualties could still rise, Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said Thursday.
The official said it was uncertain if anyone was still trapped in the building after successfully rescuing one from the rubble, however,the search for other possible victims would continue.
"Right now, the priority is to attend to the victims, the injured and their families, and to ... remove every last bit of rubble in order to make sure that someone is not caught," he said.
So far, 46 of the injured have received medical care at the Hospital of Pemex, Pemex Picacho Hospital Center, the Red Cross and the Angeles del Pedregal Hospital in Mexico City.
Some 500 rescuers including sailors and soldiers, were working at the scene, "using all the resources of the authorities to investigate and determine the causes of the accident," according to Chong.
The minister also said 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 his "solidarity with the relatives of those who unfortunately lost their lives to this unfortunate fact" on his Twitter account.
The explosion occurred around 3:55 p.m. local time (1955 GMT) in the administration building of B2 Pemex Tower, located in the capital's downtown.
Pemex Tower, 211 meters high with 54 floors, is one of the highest buildings in Mexico City.
Built in 1979, it is rated among the world's strongest skyscrapers and one of the most seismic-tolerant buildings worldwide.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- An explosion in the headquarters of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) in Mexico City on Thursday left 14 people dead and 80 others injured, the Mexican oil giant said on its Twitter account.Full Story
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and some 75 more were injured on Thursday after a powerful blast ripped through the headquarters of Mexico's oil giant Pemex in Mexico City, local media reported, citing authorities.Full Story
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A powerful blast ripped through the landmark headquarters of Mexico's oil giant Pemex in Mexico City on Thursday, causing causalities and evacuation of the building.Full Story
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