Rescue workers have pulled out more bodies from debris at the headquarters of Mexican state oil giant Pemex after a powerful explosion killed at least 32 people and threw a spotlight back on to the state-run company’s poor safety record.
Scenes of confusion and chaos outside the downtown tower block in Mexico City have dealt another blow to Pemex’s image, just as Mexico’s new president is seeking to court outside investment for the 75-year-old monopoly.
Thursday’s blast occurred at a Pemex building next to the 50-storey skyscraper. Chief executive officer Emilio Lozoya said the number of confirmed dead now stood at 32, up from 25 overnight. A further 121 were injured.
Officials have been unable to say how many people may still be trapped in the wreckage of the office block. A military paramedic at the scene said there were likely many, and he expected the death toll to continue increasing.
Officer Lozoya said it was not clear what caused the mid-afternoon explosion, which has been the subject of speculation ranging from a bomb attack to a gas leak to a boiler blowing up.
Best teams
“A fatal incident like yesterday’s cannot be explained in two hours, we are working with the best teams in Mexico and from overseas, we will not speculate,” he told a news conference. Investigators have cordoned off the blast site.
A local Red Cross official said the ceiling had collapsed in three lower storeys.
Officer Lozoya said the four floors worst affected by the explosion normally had about 200-250 people working on them. That compared with about 10,000 staff in the entire Pemex complex. – (Reuters)