Mexico: Deadly blaze erupts at illegal fuel pipeline
A leaking pipeline in central Mexico sparked a large blaze that killed at least 21 people and injured 71 others, authorities said on Friday. The fire ignited after an illegal tap was drilled into the Tuxpan-Tula pipeline, belonging to state oil company PEMEX.
Locals were attempting to gather the fuel with buckets when the massive fire erupted in the small town of Tlahuelilpan in Hidalgo, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Mexico City.
Footage from Mexican television earlier in the day showed what appeared to be gasoline spouting dozens of feet into the air and people approaching it with containers.
Mayor Juan Pedro Cruz told Mexican media that the fuel spill took place around 5 p.m. local time (2300 UTC). He said members of the army arrived at the scene and cordoned the area, but were ultimately unable to stop some 200 people who broke through to reach the fuel.
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Government takes on gas thieves
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed his concern about the incident in Hidalgo on Twitter, saying he wanted “the entire government” to help people at the scene. The Mexican president also said that he was in contact with local authorities and that he had instructed them to gain control of the fire and help the victims.
Lopez Obrador had recently launched a major offensive to crack down on rampant fuel theft in the country.
The government estimates that its state oil company PEMEX has lost $3 billion (€2.6 billion) annually from fuel theft. In the first months of 2018, thieves drilled approximately 12,581 illegal taps.
To mitigate the problem the Mexican government had shut down several major pipelines and ordered fuel to be transported in tanker trucks.
As a result of Lopez Obrador’s new measures, a dozen Mexican states have experienced fuel shortages in the past 15 days, leading to long wait lines for consumers at gas stations.
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jcg/sms (EFE, AP, Reuters)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/mexico-deadly-blaze-erupts-at-illegal-fuel-pipeline/a-47146173