HOUSTON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Five people were missing after an explosion ripped through an eastern Oklahoma drilling rig Monday morning.

The explosion occurred west of the town of Quinton, about 240 km east of Oklahoma City, the capital city of the southern U.S. state of Oklahoma.

According to Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management, it wasn't immediately clear if there were any injuries or fatalities.

Pittsburg County Emergency Manager Kevin Enloe said about 17 workers were taken off the site following the blast, but that five remained missing Monday afternoon.

The drilling site was being operated by Red Mountain Energy, said Matt Skinner, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates oil and gas operators in the state.

Red Mountain Energy, LLC offers oil exploration services. The company was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City.