Death toll in Mexico City blast rises to 25

The death toll of an explosion rocking the headquarters of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) in the capital has risen to 25, Mexican Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said late Thursday.

Seventeen women and eight men were among the dead, Osorio Chong told a press conference, adding that the blast also left 101 others injured.

Pemex said about 3,500 people were evacuated from the damaged building after the explosion occurred at around 3:55 p.m. (2155 GMT) in the 211-meter Pemex Tower in downtown Mexico City.

The exact cause of the accident still remained unknown.

Mexico City (Xinhua)