Photo taken with a mobile device shows army working at the site of an explosion in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo state, Mexico, Jan. 18, 2019. At least 20 people were killed and 54 others injured in a pipeline explosion in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo on Friday, local authorities said. (Xinhua)
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a pipeline explosion in central Mexico has risen to 66, the governor of the state of Hidalgo said on Saturday.
"The latest death toll ... is 66 dead, and 76 are being treated in hospital," Gov. Omar Fayad tweeted.
The pipeline went ablaze around 7:00 p.m. local time Friday (0100 GMT) in the community of San Primitivo in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan when dozens of people gathered around a leak spot to collect fuel.
According to Fayad, local government was coordinating rescue efforts and helping the injured was top priority.
State-owned petroleum company Pemex said the pipeline had been illegally tapped.
"What happened today in Tlahuelilpan should not be repeated," said Fayad, warning locals against fuel theft, noting that "besides being unlawful, it puts your life and that of the families at risk."
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed regret over the incident on Twitter, saying he had instructed emergency workers to bring the fire under control and treat the victims.
Fuel theft has been a pressing problem in Mexico, as Lopez Obrador has said it makes the country lose between 2.9 and 3.9 billion U.S. dollars per year.
The government unveiled a plan to combat fuel theft in December, and had launched a major crackdown on increasing fuel theft in the country, which cost it some 3 billion U.S. dollars in 2017.
