The balance sheet of the oil pipeline explosion of the state-owned oil company Pemex on Friday (18) killed 71 people in the state of Hidalgo, in central Mexico. At least 76 people were injured.
Ernesto Sierra, representing families of the victims, said that five completely charred bodies had been found inside a hole where gasoline had accumulated around the crack of the pipeline.
The new charge leader was confirmed by Hidalgo Governor Omar Fayad to the ForoTV television channel, according to the Associated Press.
Among the victims are two 15-year-old children and a two-year-old child, according to Efe.
The accident occurred late in the afternoon in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan, while dozens of people had taken advantage of a leak at the site to transport the fuel in buckets and containers. Experts work on blast furnaces Pemex fuel lines in Tlahuelilpan, Mexico, Saturday (19) – Photo: Reuters / Henry Romero in Tlahuelilpan, Mexico, on Saturday (19) – Source: Reuters / Henry Romero "src = "data: image / jpeg; base64, / 9j / 4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD / 2wBDAAMCAgMCAgMDAwMEAwMEBQgFBQQEBQoHBwYIDAoMDAsKCwsNDhIQDQ4RDgsLEBYQERMUFRUVDA8XGBYUGBIUFRT / 2wBDAQMEBAUEBQkFBQkUDQsNFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBT / wgARCAAQABkDASIAAhEBAxEB / 8QAGQAAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAUDBgcI / 8QAFgEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQID / 9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAAHniHVa9SaEqXZP / 8QAHRAAAQQCAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwACBAUBEQYUIv / aAAgBAQABBQJ4toekUrONWHcEq6DXRs2FyGXIMRsl3lf / xAAZEQADAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIREiL / 2gAIAQMBAT8Bjt4KjVn / xAAaEQACAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIhAxEi / 9oACAECAQE / AZcKxZdqj EACYQAAEDBAAEBwAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAQMEERIhFCIxkjM0YXGBkcH // / // 2gAIAQEABj8Cvu3sn9EUcdSZiQDsG65Df9Xj1Pc64uW vepjHeB2sneIBp4mflARt8rOSUsmbFtfTLzg9jr xAAdEAEBAAICAwEAAAAAAAAAAAABEQAhYXEQMcFB / 9oACAEBAAE / IUqQHp3cdVV4Yv2jSSJsfzwp9vwEq8l31kHOJl + l5wQ6dNoGuCfPDP / aAAwDAQACAAMAAAAQy1 xAAZEQADAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAREhUaH // / // 2gAIAQMBAT8QbCUW2Xaun EABkRAQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAIVHB0f / aAAgBAgEBPxA3q8EQNHk // 8QAHhABAQACAgIDAA AAAAAAAAAAAREAMSFBUWFxwfD / 2gAIAQEAAT8Qp0IqlGo9vGS / SghA7L29DMD1nQwcI0F40mfpPrDx4TF5ItQvTh94xFDCE3h3udBPjD3c5LYN4BJQIi6lxH // 2Q == "/>
Experts work on an explosion site that hit Pemex fuel lines in Tlahuelilpan, Mexico, on Saturday (19) – [1] [2] [3] Photo: Reuters / Henry Romero
The explosion of the conduit, allegedly pierced by thieves, sent flares into the sky of Tlahuelilpan, in the state of Hidalgo, in central Mexico.
Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador promised Saturday to intensify his efforts to eliminate fuel theft after the tragedy.
"We were informed of this tragic accident in which many people were burned and were trying to collect fuel escaped by a leak," Governor Omar Fayad said in an interview with "Milenio" TV stations. and "Fórum TV". .
Soldiers are seen close to a area where an explosion hit Pemex fuel lines in Tlahuelilpan, Mexico, to dawn on Saturday 19 (19) – Photo: National Defense Secretary / Document via Reuters
Many wounded have been severely burned and it is feared that more bodies will be buried near the duct .
The mayor of the municipality, Juan Pedro Cruz, told local journalists that the flight had started at 17:00 (23 hours in Brasilia). Army soldiers tried to isolate the area, but they could not control the 200 or so people who had invaded the area to get fuel.
He said that the army had asked residents to leave the area, but they did not obey and the tragedy occurred. When it exploded, the fuel created a kind of fire barrier where most people were concentrated.
"I am really sorry for the serious situation in Tlahuelilpan, because of the explosion of a pipeline.I am in Aguascalientes and, as the director of Pemex and the Secretary of Defense m & # 39; have informed, I have given instructions to control the fire and badist the victims, "he wrote. the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in a message on Twitter.
I am really sorry for the serious situation in Tlahuelilpan, due to the explosion of a pipeline. I am in Aguascalientes and since the director of Pemex and the Secretary of Defense have informed me, I have given instructions to control the fire and badist the victims. A video clip shows residents eager to fill gallons of fuel leaks from the conduit, among burned victims, raising questions about how López Obrador handled the issue, one of his promises since his took office on 1 December.
On 21 December, leftist veteran López Obrador launched a crackdown and ordered the temporary closure of pipelines to prevent the illegal hijackings of billions of dollars from the state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
"We are far from ending the fight against fuel theft, which will become stronger, we will continue until we have eradicated this practice," said Lopez Obrador, who had promised to To intensify the presence of security forces in the country. sensitive areas.
A fire destroyed Friday night (18) the site of the 39 Explosion of a pipeline in Mexico – Photo: Francisco Fernandez Villeda / AFP
Videos posted on social networks showed people filling gallons by duct during the day and in the presence of armed forces, which led to questioning why the authorities had not acted
The government claims that the soldiers arrived at the scene after Pemex detected the illegal drilling but did not have time to take control of the area.
<img clbad = "image content-media_image" itemprop = "contentUrl" alt = "Rescue teams injured person in the explosion of a pipeline in Mexico on the night of Friday (18) .- Photo: Alfredo Estrella / AFP" title = "Teams saved a wounded in the explosion of a pipeline in Mexico City Friday night (18) – Photo: Alfredo Estrella / AFP "data-src =" https://s2.glbimg.com/QxEHxOBtGLUmFHpVCmjL08S7P4Q=/0x0:3839×2553/1008×0/ smart / filters: strip_icc / (.s3.glbim.com/i.).
Teams rescue a wounded man in the explosion of a pipeline in Mexico, Friday night (18) – Photo: Alfredo Alfonso Durazo, head of the Secretariat for Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), was in charge of the mission until the end of the year.
In a statement, Pemex announced specialized agents, in coordination with the authorities at all levels, were involved in the fire. (19659032) In the Mexican state of Queretaro, another Pemex pipeline exploded in the municipality of San Juan del Río in the afternoon of Friday (18), but no case of death or injury occurred. Has been reported.
The explosion of a pipeline leaves dozens of dead in Mexico – Photo: Alexandre Mauro / G1 [19659034] The explosion of an oil pipeline leaves dozens of dead in Mexico – Photo: Alexandre Mauro / G1