Mexico: One killed, over dozen injured in Pemex gas pipeline explosion

At least one person was killed and over dozen were injured after a series of explosions rocked the central Mexico city of Puebla on Sunday. According to a report by the Associated Press, a preliminary investigation suggested the deadly explosion took place due to an illegal tap on a natural gas line. Citing the local authorities, the news agency said that nearly 15-20 homes were also damaged during the explosion. According to Puebla state Governor Miguel Barbosa, the emergency officials were rushed to the site and evacuated the area within 80 minutes after getting an emergency call warning of a gas smell.

He said the officials evacuated more than 2,000 people living within the circumference of 2 kilometres after the first explosion took place in the wee hours of Sunday. "If there had not been an evacuation and there had not been coordination, there would have been a tragedy of great proportions," the governor said. Meanwhile, the emergency officials, who were present on the blast site, told AP that more than 50 homes were either destroyed or damaged in the San Pablo Xochimehuacan district of Puebla. Further, he informed two of the injured were critical with severe burns and were admitted to a city-based hospital. 

"When I heard the chaos, the screaming of the people, that's when we realized that the smoke from the gas was coming ... and we didn’t have time to take out documents or animals or anything," one resident told The Associated Press shortly after being told that his home was completely destroyed.

Heavy rainfall doused the flames completely: Officials

Meanwhile, the authorities confirmed that the flames were completely doused only after a heavy rainfall occurred in the evening. Shortly before 7 pm, authorities announced that workers from Mexico’s state oil company had succeeded in closing off the leaking gas. Governor Barbosa said rescue teams with dogs were searching for more possible victims, though there were no reports of missing people. Moreover, the governor assured the locals to nab the person responsible for the death of one person and damage of properties. "Unfortunately, one person was killed and 15 more were injured in the explosion of the Pemex pipeline in Puebla," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday. He added that 1,396 civil protection personnel had been mobilised.  

(With inputs from AP)

(Image: AP)