A ruptured gasoline pipeline in central Mexico has exploded, killing at least 79 people and leaving several others injured.
According to media reports, the explosion took place after the pipeline was ruptured by suspected fuel thieves in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo.
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Several people had gathered around the pipeline to fill up containers with spilt fuel and were engulfed in an inferno following the blast.
It is believed that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s measures to check fuel theft has resulted in widespread shortages and led to people line-up to fill containers.
Mexican petroleum company Pemex attributed the fire to illegal tapping.
The company, however, said that an investigation has been launched to probe the cause of the incident.
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By GlobalDataFollowing the explosion, local inhabitants residing near the pipeline area were evacuated and the blast site was cordoned off.
Meanwhile, CNN reported Mexico general prosecutor Alejandro Gertz Manero as saying that a ‘preliminary belief’ for the cause of the explosion is the static electricity from the clothing of people around the gasoline pipeline.
Fuel theft is rampant in the country. According to the Associated Press, theft gangs have drilled illegal taps into pipelines around 12,581 times in the first ten months of last year.
Obrador said that there will be greater surveillance of pipelines to prevent fuel theft.
He was quoted by CNN as saying: “To guarantee that there are no fuel shortages, it has been fundamental the participation of the armed forces, the military, marines and federal police.
“If necessary, we will reinforce the surveillance strategy. Another method will be the increase of fuel transportation capacity.”
