AN EXPLOSION AT A MINING COMPLEX IN NORTHEASTERN MEXICO KILLED THREE WORKERS AND CRITICALLY INJURED SIX OTHERS, AUTHORITIES SAID SUNDAY, ACCORDING TO AP. A TOWERING, EXTERNAL OVEN USED TO EXTRACT METALS AND MIX IRON ALLOYS EXPLODED SATURDAY NIGHT AT A FERROMAGNESIAN MINING PLANT OPERATED BY COMPANIA MINERA AUTLAN SA IN TOMAS, IN THE GULF COAST STATE OF VERACRUZ. TWO WORKERS SUSTAINED BURNS OVER MOST OF THEIR BODIES AND DIED INSTANTLY. A THIRD DIED WHILE BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL, SAID ALDO ELIAS, A SPOKESMAN FOR INVESTIGATORS IN PANUCO, A CITY ENCOMPASSING TOMAS AND THE MINING COMPLEX. ELIAS SAID SIX OTHER WORKERS WERE SEVERELY BURNED. THEY WERE TAKEN BY THE RED CROSS TO HOSPITALS IN TAMPICO, IN TAMAULIPAS STATE. THE MINING COMPLEX IS LOCATED ABOUT 570 KILOMETERS (355 MILES) NORTH OF THE PORT CITY OF VERACRUZ. WORKERS REACHED BY TELEPHONE AT THE MINING COMPLEX IN TOMAS SAID THAT, WHILE THERE IS A MINE ONSITE, THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED ABOVE GROUND IN AN AREA CONTAINING 11 OVENS. DAVID DAVILLA, ONE OF THE PLANT'S MANAGERS, SAID AT LEAST 400 WORKERS WERE EMPLOYED AT THE COMPLEX, BUT REFUSED TO CONFIRM HOW MANY WERE EVACUATED BECAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION. COMPANIA MINERA AUTLAN SAID IT WAS PREPARING A STATEMENT, BUT THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL MONDAY. RANULFO MARQUEZ, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF STATE CIVIL PROTECTION AUTHORITIES, CONFIRMED THE DEATHS AND INJURIES, LOWERING INITIAL ESTIMATES. MARQUEZ ORIGINALLY SAID THE BLAST MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE MISHANDLING OF EXPLOSIVES WITHIN THE MINING COMPLEX, BUT INVESTIGATORS LATER SAID EXPLOSIVES WEREN'T USED AT THE SITE AND SPECULATED THE BLAST MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A BUILDUP OF GAS AND PRESSURE AROUND THE OVEN. FERROMAGNESIAN IS A METALLIC COMPOUND CONTAINING IRON AND MAGNESIUM. MEXICO'S MINING INDUSTRY HAS BEEN UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY AFTER A FEBRUARY EXPLOSION THAT KILLED 65 WORKERS AT THE PASTA DE CONCHOS COAL MINE IN NORTHERN MEXICO.
