An explosion at a fuel pipeline in central Mexico killed at least 73 people after hundreds gathered at the site of the illegal fuel-line tap. The government has been cracking down the growing problem of fuel theft.
The blast occurred near Tlahuelilpan, a town north of Mexico City. Federal and state firefighters and ambulances rushed to the spot to help victims and take them to hospitals.
Fuel traffickers had pierced the pipeline on Friday, following which authorities sent an army unit to control the crowd that had gathered to collect the spilled fuel. Around 700 people had swarmed to the spot and it became increasingly difficult for the 25 soldiers sent to man the site. The blast occurred two hours after the pipeline was first breached.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador tweeted that he was deeply saddened by what happened at Tlahuelilpan. He said that the army was correct in trying to secure the pipeline and manage the situation, but it is not easy to impose order on a crowd.
The fire was brought under control by around midnight on Friday.
Forensic workers attempted to load the charred bodies into vans to be transported to funeral homes, but were stopped by people who demanded their relatives' bodies. The bodies were eventually taken to a morgue.
The tragedy comes at a time when there is a highly publicised federal government crackdown on fuel theft, a problem that cost Mexico an estimated USD 3 billion in 2017.
Mexico is regularly rocked by deadly explosions at illegal pipeline taps, a dangerous but lucrative business. About 15 oil pipeline explosions and fires causing more than 50 fatalities each have occurred around the world since 1993.
With inputs from agencies
