By Nancy Caouette
MEXICO CITY
Authorities on Thursday afternoon revised down the death toll from a gas explosion at a children’s hospital in Mexico City earlier in the day.
Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said two victims died in the blast and seven toddlers were injured.
The Civil protection secretary of Mexico City said previously that seven people, including 4 children, died in the explosion.
President Enrique Pena Nieto took to Twitter to express his condolences. "My sadness and solidarity to all the injured and to all relatives of persons who died this morning in the Children hospital of Cuajimalpa,'' he said on the social network.
In a press conference held in front of the Children hospital of Cuajimalpa, the mayor also said 66 victims were injured, 22 critically, in the blast that occurred at 7:30 a.m. local time.
A baby was rescued from the rubble about three hours later and transferred via helicopter to a nearby hospital.
Reports of several babies being rescued from the rubble could not be independently confirmed by The Anadolu Agency.
Angel Mancera said about 70 percent of the hospital collapsed from the explosion and nearby buildings have been evacuated, including a school.
Approximately 40 soldiers have been deployed to search and rescue victims as a number of high-ranking Mexican officals visited the blast site.
“We make a call to all hospitals of the neighborhood. But we don’t have enough ambulances.” Mancera said in an appeal for help as several city hospitals took to social media to solicit large numbers of blood donors.
Most of victims were “injured by shards of glass” while others suffered panic attacks, the mayor said.
The explosion occurred as the fire department worked to control a gas leak that was reported by a company refueling the hospital's gas tank.
