Pemex confirmed that the explosion resulted from the manipulation of a clandestine pipe. State authorities explained that several of the injured people were near the pipeline trying to collect fuel that was leaking.
Editor's note: Update on the number of victims: 7:00 am on Saturday.
The Pemex Tuxpan-Tula pipeline exploded on Friday, January 18, at around 7:00 pm in the community of San Primitivo, located in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo, after a clandestine fuel intake.
The governor Omar Fayad and the Secretary of State Government, Simón Vargas, confirmed that there are at least 66 deaths and 76 injured people, who were transferred to nearby hospitals and some to the La Raza hospital in Mexico City; most of them with burns.
The fuel leak is located on the Teltipan-Tlahuelilpan highway, on the border with Tlaxcoapan. The State Police said there were at least 400 people in the area trying to collect fuel that was leaking. They also reported that the DN-III Plan was activated by the Army.
Update: Up to now, 71 people have been injured and 20 people have died. We continue to implement all the necessary measures to attend to the injured and support the affected families.
- Omar Fayad (@omarfayad) January 19, 2019 In a statement, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) claimed that the explosion was caused by the manipulation of the clandestine pipeline for fuel theft, but that the accident does not affect the supply of gasoline in Mexico City. Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic has already started a portfolio of investigation files on the facts.
Pemex activated the green alarm in the Hospital of Tula, and announced that those injured with severe burns will be referred to the North and South Hospital of Mexico City.
The explosion in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo was derived from the manipulation of a clandestine pipe for fuel theft in the Tuxpan-Tula pipeline. This accident does not affect the supply of gasoline in Mexico City.- Petróleos Mexicanos (@Pemex) January 19, 2019
#Pemex attends to a clandestine fire in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo• Specialized personnel from Petróleos Mexicanos, in coordination with the Federal and Local authorities, implement the Emergency Response and Response Group plan. pic.twitter.com/N6k9v4rM6t
- Petróleos Mexicanos (@Pemex) January 19, 2019
The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) will also receive the injured persons in their Tula and Tepeji units "whether or not they are beneficiaries". They will also give attention in the hospitals of Lomas Verdes and Magdalena de las Salinas, "due to the level of specialty".The governor of Hidalgo, Omar Fayad, activates Plan DN-III in Tlahuelilpan, after explosion in the pipeline of Pemex. pic.twitter.com/zC8NCQUtx6- FOROtv (@Foro_TV) January 19, 2019
The #IMSS reports: So far, we have ten injured in our medical units in Magdalena de las Salinas in #CdMX and Lomas Verdes in #EdoMex . We will be updating the information.- IMSS (@Tu_IMSS) January 19, 2019
List of injured
The Secretary of Public Safety federal, Alfonso Durazo, informed that due to the situation a National Committee of Emergencies will be installed to take care of those affected.In coordination with the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection of @GobiernoMX , the @SSP_CDMX with condors, foxes, ERUM group; Ministry of Health and Firefighters in support of an emergency due to a pipeline explosion in Hidalgo.- Claudia Sheinbaum (@Claudiashein) January 19, 2019
The president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also said he had given instructions to "control the fire and treat the victims."In view of the emergency that occurred due to the explosion of the pipeline in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo, the National Emergency Committee has been installed immediately, in order to attend to the affected population in a timely manner. More information soon.- Alfonso Durazo (@AlfonsoDurazo) January 19, 2019
Hours before, the government of Hidalgo said they had received a report of a clandestine pipeline, so the Public Security Staff of the municipality, the State Security Agency, as well as Civil Protection and Firefighters went to the area.I am very 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 informed me, I gave instructions so that the fire is controlled and the victims are treated.- Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) January 19, 2019
Fire in the Queretaro duct by another clandestine pipeline
"The fire is in an unpopulated area and there is no risk to the population," the agency posted on its official Twitter account.
Pemex specialized staff attends fire for clandestine takeover in San Juan del Río, # Queretaro . The fire is in an unpopulated area and there is no risk to the population.- Petróleos Mexicanos (@Pemex) January 19, 2019
Steal gas get burned.
ReplyDeleteNo la chinges gwhey la gente aya no tiene ni que comer. I'm not saying they are right but come on it's a tragic event. Outside of the U.S. it's not Rose's and honey combs people will do what they have to in order to eat another day.
DeleteLmfao I agree. They need to find a legit Job.Leeches.
DeleteMexico really has become the toilet of the North America. They were stealing gas from a hacked pipeline....no one there thought maybe it could explode?? This is Darwin’s theory taking place before our eyes.
Delete8:41 die somewhere
DeleteBulldog you don’t know what are you saying. Mexico is poor but people are not dying of hunger. The problem here is the rapiña mentality. In Mexico you can not even have an accident with out people trying to rob everything from your vehicle.
Delete@12:13 not even man, these idiots were literally SOAKED IN GAS, and to
DeleteTop it off (no pun intended) they were scooping up the gasoline from the dirt Chanel, I don’t care what you say, Poor or not poor u gotta be a complete DF to get within 100 ft of this. No sympathy for them.
It isn’t that easy in the US either. Unless you got $$ and connections. You gotta break ur back to make ends meet here too
DeleteIt looks to me like it was already leaking. That has was going to go to waste anyways. Fucking assholes, careful with ur words,karma watches and listens putos
DeleteSteal with a “pen,” get rich.
DeleteWow I can't believe these comments at all .just sad. No empathy. Damn.
DeleteA tragedy like this was bound to happen with all of the clandestine fuel theft in Mexico. Won't be surprised if it happens again.
ReplyDeleteTragedy has finally struck those fuel thieves. Along with many innocent people. Something that was a given only a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteNot many know how to tap into pipe lines that are under high pressure without bearing the devastating effects.
How many more will need to die due to thieves?
Mexico has a lot on their plate against so many organizations and types of criminal activities. It's a mess. From top government officials bribed to the minute individual which exists at all.
The president has a lot of work to do.
Hopefully this will be a warning to others.
ReplyDeleteSad state of affairs for this to happen.
Everything we do is at our own risk.
ReplyDeleteHopefully those p.o.s,el marrano y el bukana burn like these ppl did.
ReplyDeleteThis is heartbreaking, hopefully this is a turning point to this fuel theft issue I hope people around these communities see this and realize how dangerous that shit is It really can't get more scary than this. the constant screaming of dozens of people as they slowly die.fuck that shit I'd rather live all my life in hunger and poverty.
ReplyDeleteDespite the dangers involved into fuel tapping. These individuals prefer to steal than make an honest living.
DeleteWhy you think there are so many organizations of crime operating in Mexico? Along with the hundreds of thousands of missing people.
Moral values have deteriorated so much in a land of humble and noble people.
If the leaders of that country exemplify the same criminal activities why not its citizens?
Such a shame.
Truly sad, my heart go out to those people
ReplyDeleteWow . Ive been hearing of these "fuel taps" . Not at all what I pictured . Actually I thought they had a way of controlling the flow once they tapped it . To try and catch that is INSANE . That is some wild shit. Only vapor burns and there is a lot of vapor being created in the air . If the vapor is in your lungs when it ignites .... That is unbelievable
ReplyDeleteThey're complete idiots. Its not insane its stupid.
DeleteThey do have a way of controlling it but they are tapping a pressurized pipe so there is many things that can go wrong it looks the base of the tape had a crack in it or something
DeleteThat was my understanding as well. In the last article about the former cop they say they have a spigot basically. Was this normal for how huachileros operate? Do they just tap it and have a free for all?!?Someone educate me
DeleteGoes to show that desperation can supersede logic. That will never change. Not all that different from early man risking their lives by walking into caves in attempts to evict bears in order to provide shelter for themselves and their families. We all confront those fears, to a certain degree, every day. My heart goes out to the victims. I'm sure I'll get called out for saying "victims" but I don't care.
ReplyDeleteVictims of their own stupidity...
Delete. "No different then cave men trying to evict a bear" ahahahaha 😂
DeleteSo they take what is not there's and the president sends aid? Wow i cannot make this up i tell you.
ReplyDeleteAre you serious? That was a mass casualty situation with civilians yeah they were stealing gas but they still got injured.
DeleteSaw some disturbing YouTube videos from this disaster. People running while fully engulfed and people running blinde in the actual explosion. It’s crazy how close Mexico is in terms of geography to Canada and the US but it’s so poor. Mexico is a broken system.
ReplyDeleteIdiots
DeleteDid u see that..ohhhh
DeleteExplosion of that sort so close
U BASICALLY blind
From flash
Plus what they did not know geyser
Not hole....
Spraying beyond where most standing
It engulf the back part
Projectile
Soot
Taco
Buckets
Metal
Imagine blast u eyes
With hose
100 mile pr
Without KNOWLEDGE?
How about you research the "trade agreements" that USA forced onto Mexico before saying Mexico has a broken system? Mexico never stood a chance, it is modern day slavery.
DeleteHey blackdudeinvancouver, please stop typing like that. Please formulate actual sentences.
DeleteHow does that Canada guy type those sentences ? Maybe his hands are made of Canadian ham or bacon, does it get sticky or stuck to your finger? Did you smoke it? Are you putting something we should all know about in your tacos and getting tipsy then type comment? Do you want to share your rare typing skill secrets? Because right about now after reading your bizare scribble list I am in a shock wave of awwww!
DeleteCan't believe people are recording and watching without helping
ReplyDeleteI saw that dude
DeleteLive close to America
Mentality
Hell no
No kanadians walk on by
Unless u a?
In our nature to help
Beyond what we can
Protect us from butterboy
Below
Oh it's you again the Belgian Russian warrior dude, I'm begining to think you get your riddles out of a Russian dumb rap song way over seas no one heard of , or in a cereal box from Russia, stop typing in riddles and hidden words , your not in prison nor in Kansas anymore dorothy so click that red shoe and kick rocks. ,,, you literally put my eyes in freaky wiki leak motion , feeling like a retarted robot after reading your shit !
DeleteThis has to be the worst most horrifying I've ever seen in my life
ReplyDeleteThe equipment used by a lot of cartels is specially made to drill a tiny hole the the pipeline sensors won't detect it. Something went wrong and they should have called the cops instead of getting greedy what a tragedy
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when you forget your morals and become a criminal. Poverty is a state of mind.
ReplyDeletepoorhuachicoleros
ReplyDeleteSo sad. Stupid camera man should have ran in to help but also to get close ups.
ReplyDeleteFor educational purposes of course.
Is it possible Pemex blew this up to deter future taps?
ReplyDeletePemex was aware of the breach almost almost immediately when pressure from the pipe decreased, yet Pemex allowed fuel to flow for about 4 hours resulting in the spectacular explosion and subsequent blaze
DeleteMade more visible after dusk.
There is more to this.