PEMEX Death Toll Rises to 35

Petroleos Mexicanos, PEMEX, announced Sunday that its death toll rose to 35 after rescue workers found two more bodies from the rubble of an explosion that occurred at its corporate headquarters in Mexico City, reported Dow Jones Newswires. One body was recovered Saturday night and another Sunday, Pemex said in updates via Twitter.

The blast, which occurred Thursday afternoon, partially destroyed an administrative building that sits next to the oil firm's 48-story corporate tower.

Thus far, 20 of the dead were women who worked in the building doing administrative work like payroll, Pemex officials told Dow Jones. Some 52 are hospitalized due to the explosion, which the company said hadn't affected its oil operations. It is not known how many people still remain trapped in a basement part of the partially collapsed building. Roughly four floors that house about 200 to 250 workers were the most affected.

Authorities haven't determined the cause of the explosion.

With more than 10 years of journalism experience, Robin Dupre specializes in the offshore sector of the oil and gas industry. Email Robin at rdupre@rigzone.com.

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