Mexican oil giant chief won't speculate on cause of blast
2 February CNN
A day after an explosion rocked its offices in Mexico City, Mexico's
state-run oil giant Pemex says it's too early to speculate on the cause
of the deadly blast.At least 33 people mostly women were killed in the
explosion, Pemex chief Emilio Lozoya said at a news conference Friday.
More than 100 were injured, including 52 who remain
hospitalized.Lozoya was asked if he believed Pemex, the powerful but
often criticized state oil monopoly, was the target of a bombing, but he
declined to speculate. Experts from Mexico and abroad are investigating
the scene to determine the cause, he said.
Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam similarly refused to
rule out possibilities.We have experts in everything, absolutely
everything," he told reporters, adding that investigations are under way
to determine whether the blast was the result of an accident or an
attack.
Some witnesses have reported smelling a strong odor of gas after the
blast.It is a complicated investigation that "cannot be explained in a
few hours," Lozoya said.
The priority, Lozoya said, is providing support to the victims'
families and rescuing anyone who may remain trapped.Mexican President
Enrique Pena Nieto visited victims in the hospital Friday, offering
condolences and promising help.
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