25 killed in Mexico oil company HQ blast

Twenty-five people have been killed after a powerful explosion at the headquarters of Mexico’s state-run oil company Pemex in Mexico City.

Mexican Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told a news conference on Thursday, “We have up to now 25 people dead — 17 women and eight men.”

The interior minister added that 101 people were injured.

The blast, which was reportedly caused by “an accumulation of gas” in a power supply room, inflicted heavy damage on three floors of the 52-story building of Petroleos Mexicanos.

“It was an explosion, a shock, the lights went out and suddenly there was a lot of debris,” employee Cristian Obele was quoted as saying.

Another worker said the “strong explosion” shattered windows, leaving a large number of people in shock.

President Enrique Pena Nieto and Mexico City’s Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera rushed to the scene.