Three dead, dozens injured in blast at chemical plant in Mexico

Source: Reuters

A massive explosion rocked a major petrochemical facility of Mexican national oil company Pemex in the Gulf state of Veracruz on Wednesday, killing at least three people, injuring dozens more, and pumping a cloud of noxious chemicals into the sky.

Luis Felipe Puente, head of federal emergency services, told Reuters that three people had died in the blast. The governor of Veracruz state, Javier Duarte, later said 105 were hospitalized, including 58 Pemex workers, according to his official Twitter account.

Pemex said the explosion, which sent a huge, dark plume of smoke billowing upwards, occurred just after 3 p.m. (2000 GMT) at the facility's chlorinate 3 plant near the port of Coatzacoalcos, one of the company's top oil export hubs.

Local emergency officials said hundreds of people had been evacuated from the site. Television footage showed an initial burst of flames followed by a tower of thick smoke. A company official said local oil exports were unaffected.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-pemex-idUSKCN0XH2N2