The Chinese embassy in Ecuador has confirmed that four Chinese workers had perished in an explosion at a construction site near Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador, on Tuesday evening.

The Chinese workers were at the Sopladora hydroelectric station for an ongoing construction when the explosion occurred at about 8 pm, the Chinese embassy said. Sopladora is being built by Chinese construction and engineering firm Gezhouba Group.

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The victims, whose identities have not been disclosed, were working on a vertical shaft when the explosion happened. Their bodies were buried in rubbles and were found only after five hours of rescue operation.

No Other Casualties

There were no other casualties in the explosion, the Chinese embassy said, and the families of the victims have already been notified of the tragic accident in the South American nation.

The cause of explosion has not been determined yet, as Ecuadorian authorities are still trying investigating the incident.

The Sopladora hydroelectric station is one of the most important energy-related projects in Ecuador undertaken with the aid of the Chinese government.

Ecuador Woos Chinese Investors

Ecuador has been luring Chinese investors to invest in the country's energy sectors as well as industries, as the country shifts from natural resources to industrialization.

Ecuador's Vice President Jorge Glas said the country is a gateway to Latin America and Chinese investors will be able to access neighboring countries when they invest in Ecuador.

Meanwhile, China's largest oil and gas producer, China National Petroleum Corporation (PetroChina), has bought a 30 percent stake in Ecuador's Pacifico oil refinery project for about US$10 billion.

The investment is the biggest by a Chinese state-owned company in Latin America so far this year. The cooperation contract for the investment is expected to be signed in the second half of this year.