News / Americas

Cause of Deadly Explosion in Mexico Revealed

TEXT SIZE - +
VOA News
Last week's deadly explosion at the headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company was caused by a gas buildup.

Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam told reporters Monday that an investigation into the disaster found that electrical spark had detonated an accumulation of gas in the basement of the Pemex building. Murillo said the gas appeared to be methane.

At least 37 people were killed in last Friday's explosion, which caused the building to collapse.

Murillo said there were no traces of explosives at the blast site, such as a large crater typically caused by a bomb.

The investigation was carried out by an international team of specialists from Mexico, Spain, Britain and the United States.

Once a symbol of national pride, Pemex has been plagued by a string of accidents in recent years, as its facilities have gone neglected. Mexico's new president, Enrique Pena Nieto, has proposed a major overhaul of the oil monopoly and is seeking to attract private investment to upgrade its infrastructure.

You May Like

Video NASA Introduces New Astronaut Candidates

NASA says half appointees are women, making this highest percentage of female astronauts in one class More

Singapore, Malaysia Choke as Illegal Indonesia Forest Fires Rage

Illegal clearing of forests by burning is a recurrent problem, particularly during annual dry season that stretches from June to September More

Scandals Hit Obama's Standing With US Voters

Obama's approval rating fell eight percentage points over past month to 45 percent More

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video Egyptian Support for Syrian Opposition is Words Over Action

Egypt has further aligned itself with those trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But as VOA's Elizabeth Arrott reports from Cairo, it remains unclear how far Egypt will back its words with action.

More Americas News

US Marks 10th Anniversary of Emergency AIDS Funding

New HIV infections are down nearly 20 percent during the past decade; new infections and AIDS-related deaths are down by almost one-third
More

UN: Don’t Let Our Future Dry Up

June 17 is World Desertification Day
More

Brazil Beats Japan, Protests Spoil Confederations Cup Opening Day

Brazil wins 3-0 over Japan in the opening match Saturday although the occasion was marred by trouble at a protest outside the stadium
More

Pope, Anglican Leader Pledge to Seek Unity

Pontiff and Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledge differences over issues ranging from gay rights to women priests
More

More Than a Provider: Dads Encouraged to Engage in Kids' Lives

Fathers' groups now exist in South Africa, South America, Asia and Europe
More

Common Chemical May Damage Teeth

Researchers say BPA, found in many resins and plastics that people use everyday, may hinder enamel producing cells
More