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| Caribbean-Latin America | |
| UPDATE 6-Mexican pipeline blast during fuel raid kills at least 21 fuel thieves | |
| 2019-01-19 | |
| MEXICO CITY, Jan 18 (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and 71 were injured on Friday when a pipeline ruptured by suspected fuel thieves exploded in central Mexico as dozens of people tried to fill up containers, state and federal authorities said. Mexican television footage showed flames leaping into the night sky in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan, in Hidalgo state north of Mexico City, as people screamed and cried for help. Hidalgo’s governor Omar Fayad told Mexican television that emergency services had registered the charred bodies of 21 people, and that at least 71 others had been injured. However, the blaze had yet to be extinguished, he said. "There’s still a very hot area where we think the number of injured or dead we haven’t had access to could rise," he said.
At a news conference with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Hidalgo Governor Omar Fayad said 76 people had also been injured in Friday evening's kaboom, which happened as people tried to fill containers with fu Lopez Obrador pledged to step up his government's drive to stamp out fuel theft, which has cost the country billions of dollars in the last few years. | |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #9 The Zippo, why does it hate us ? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2019-01-19 17:25 |
| #8 via some random Twitter feed: @HappyHectares Note to Self: Don't join a wild, raucous mob scooping up gasoline in pails. This is important. How can I make myself remember? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2019-01-19 15:36 |
| #7 This is happening in the US also. Below you will find two aricles that discuss this. I read an article about a pipeline tap in Texas but cannot find it because of the current situation. https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/fuel-thieves-reportedly-take-more-than-1300-gallons-of-diesel_20160512135803234 https://www.foxnews.com/auto/thieves-drilling-holes-in-tanks-to-steal-gasoline-in-florida-city |
| Posted by: CC Reader 2019-01-19 14:36 |
| #6 On the bright side ('bright' as in illuminated by flames), new Prez AMLO has cut down on fuel theft by the cartels. Pity about the resulting fuel shortages and deaths of fuel-hungry desperate people. Inquiring minds wonder if the cartels - already a defacto branch of the govt - might not do a better job of running the country. Maybe Trump should be negotiating with them to deal with cross-border traffic. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2019-01-19 13:00 |
| #5 More reasons to build the wall: keep those sorts of criminal idiots out. |
| Posted by: Injun Bucket8891 2019-01-19 12:58 |
| #4 66 dead now. Dozens injured From the same country that re-fries their beans |
| Posted by: Frank G 2019-01-19 11:36 |
| #3 Happens anywhere people can't stop smoking long enough to handle gasoline. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2019-01-19 09:59 |
| #2 I thought that only happened in Africa |
| Posted by: Slolutle Cloluse3142 2019-01-19 08:54 |
| #1 Darwin nods |
| Posted by: Frank G 2019-01-19 06:07 |