MEXICO, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- An accumulation of methane gas caused the recent deadly blast in the basement of the headquarters of Mexican oil giant Pemex, an investigator said Thursday.
The gas "was confined in a very small cell" and had an airborne concentration below 10 percent, which means it was hardly perceptible to humans, said Brian Dunagan, a foreign expert involved in the investigation.
However, "a single spark is enough (to initiate the blast). It could be an electrical installation, including static electricity," added the expert at a press conference.
Explaining why there was no trace of explosives at the site, Dunagan said, "methane gas explosion is a clean explosion."
The Jan. 31 explosion at the 211-meter Pemex Tower in downtown Mexico City killed 37 people and left dozens hospitalized.
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