Deadly explosion at PEMEX plant in Mexico

(Vatican Radio) An 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 and injuring dozens of others.

The incident took place at Petroquimica Mexicana de Vinilo, or PMV, a vinyl petrochemical plant that is a joint venture between Pemex's petrochemical unit and Mexican plastic pipe maker Mexichem.

Pemex said the explosion occurred at the facility’s chlorinate 3 plant near the port of Coatzacoalcos, one of the company's top oil export hubs.

Pemex confirmed three people had died in the blast and said as many as 45 others were injured, while the  governor of Veracruz state – in which the facility is located – Javier Duarte, put the number of injured people at more than 60.

Local emergency officials said hundreds of people had been evacuated from the site.

The cause of the explosion is at present unclear.