At Least 79 People Dead, Dozens Injured in Pipeline Explosion in Mexico

“Preliminary Belief” Is That The Static Electricity From People’s Clothing Around The Pipeline May Have Caused The Explosion

At least 79 people have died in central Mexico after a gasoline pipeline exploded on Friday night, authorities said on Sunday. Another 66 people were injured, said Mexico’s Health Secretary Jorge Alcocer. Omar Fayad, governor of the State of Hidalgo, said some of the victims are minors who will receive treatment at Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, Texas.

Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico’s Attorney General, said Saturday night that the investigation has just begun, but that a “preliminary belief” is that the static electricity from the clothing of people around the pipeline may have caused the explosion.
He noted that a large number of people were around the pipeline, some of whom were wearing clothes made from synthetic fibers that could “generate electrical reactions.”

He said no arrests have been made and witnesses will be interviewed on Sunday.

The fire resulting from the explosion of the pipeline has been extinguished, Mexico’s Secretary of Public Safety Alfonso Durazo tweeted, and rescue teams began to recover bodies.

Residents near the pipeline, which runs from the cities of Tuxpan to Tula, were evacuated, said state oil company Pemex.

Pemex said an investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing. The company initially stated that the explosion was caused by illegal taps on the pipeline. The governor of the State of Hidalgo, Omar Fayad, urged the community not to steal gasoline.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who visited Tlahuelilpan and met with authorities at a command center, said pipelines will be monitored to prevent fuel theft.

“To ensure that there is no fuel shortage, the participation of the armed forces, military, marines, and federal police was essential,” he stated. “If necessary, we will reinforce the surveillance strategy. Another method will be increasing the capacity to transport fuel.”

He said his government is working to acquire and purchase fuel tanks to increase fuel supply by 25%.

The explosion occurs at gas stations in several Mexican states and the capital has been running dry for nearly two weeks.

López Obrador’s administration has closed key pipelines in an effort to crack down on fuel theft, which, according to the Mexican leader, cost the country around US$ 3 billion last year.

Drivers In Mexico Have Become Desperate.

Family members take turns waiting in long lines for gas. Some scour social media for clues about which stations are open. Others have simply decided to leave their cars at home.

Pemex said a new gas distribution system will have long-term benefits that outweigh any short-term costs. Pemex stated that the explosion will not affect the distribution of gasoline in Mexico City.

Authorities have blamed fuel theft for previous explosions in Mexico. In 2010, a pipeline exploded in the state of Puebla, leaving 28 dead and dozens injured.