The death toll in an explosion at the
headquarters of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) in central Mexico City
reached 32 on Friday, said Emilio Lozoya, managing director of the
state oil company.
Rescue teams found seven bodies overnight and continued to work in
the rubble of the 12-floor building where the blast happened
Thursday. Lozoya told a press conference 1,700 people worked in the
affected tower, one of five buildings in the Pemex corporate complex.
A total of up to 250 people worked in the four floors that were
ravaged in the blast.
A further 121 people were injured in the explosion, of whom 52
remained in hospital Friday, said Lozoya. Rescue teams were still
searching for people missing in the rubble.
Pemex's top executive, who appeared before reporters in the
company's headquarters with a black ribbon on his chest, cut short an
Asian tour to return to Mexico after the explosion.
The cause of the blast in the basement at 3.45 pm (2145 GMT) was
not immediately known. Lozoya said the army, the navy and Mexican and
foreign experts were involved in the investigation.
"We expect the results of the investigation to be made public as
results emerge," he said. "We will not speculate and we will not rush
ahead."
Other activity was suspended Friday at Pemex headquarters,
although the company continued "to operate normally in terms of
distribution and production," Lozoya said.
The president of the union of oil workers, Moises Flores, told
local media Thursday that the explosion took part in a boiler and
spoke of negligence in maintaining the heating and air-conditioning
system.
With revenues of 32 billion dollars last year, Pemex is one of the
largest energy companies in the world. It is responsible for
overseeing the extraction and sale of Mexico's oil and produces 2.57
million barrels of oil per day.
