UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was saddened on Saturday by an oil pipeline explosion in Mexico that left 66 people dead, said his spokesman.

"The secretary-general expresses his solidarity with the people and government of Mexico. The United Nations system in Mexico stands ready to offer assistance to the national authorities," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

Guterres expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery, it said.

Sixty-six people were killed and 76 others injured in the pipeline explosion in the central Hidalgo State on Friday evening. The explosion and ensuing blaze occurred at a pipeline spot in a community in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan, when hundreds of people gathered around a leak to collect fuel.