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Mexico gasoline pipeline explosion kills 73 and dozens injured

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7 years ago

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Mexico gasoline pipeline explosion kills 73 and dozens injured

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]An explosion and fire in central Mexico killed at least 73 people after hundreds swarmed to the site of an illegal fuel-line tap to gather gasoline amid a government crackdown on fuel theft, officials said.

Hidalgo state governor Omar Fayad announced that the toll had increased to 73 after the discovery of five additional bodies.

The blast – which Fayad said injured 74 people occurred near Tlahuelilpan, a town of 20,000 people about an hour’s drive north of Mexico City.

As soldiers guarded the devastated, still-smoking scene, forensic specialists in white suits worked among the blackened corpses many frozen in the unnatural positions in which they had fallen and grim eyed civilians stepped cautiously along in a desperate search for missing relatives.

The pungent smell of fuel hung in the air. Fragments of burnt clothing were strewn through the charred brush.

When the forensic workers began attempting to load corpses into vans to be transported to funeral homes, some 30 villagers tried to stop them. They demanded their relatives’ bodies, saying funeral homes were too expensive. The bodies were ultimately taken to a morgue, authorities said.

On Friday, when authorities heard that fuel traffickers had punctured the pipeline, an army unit of about 25 soldiers arrived and attempted to block off the area, Defense Secretary Luis Crescencio Sandoval told reporters.

But the soldiers were unable to contain the estimated 700 civilians including entire families who swarmed in to collect the spilled gasoline in jerrycans and buckets, witnesses said.

The armed soldiers had been moved away from the pipeline to avoid any risk of confrontation with the crowd when the blast occurred, some two hours after the pipeline was first breached, Sandoval said.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a leftist who took office only weeks ago, traveled to the scene early Saturday. He did not fault the soldiers, saying, “The attitude of the army was correct. It is not easy to impose order on a crowd.” He vowed to continue fighting the growing problem of fuel theft.

“I am deeply saddened by the suffering in Tlahuelilpan,” Lopez Obrador wrote on Twitter. He called on his “whole government” to extend assistance.

The US Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, tweeted that her department “stands ready to assist the first responders and the Mexican government in any way possible.” Video taken in the aftermath showed screaming people fleeing the scene as an enormous fire lit up the night sky.

“I went just to see what was happening, and then the explosion happened. I rushed to help people,” Fernando Garcia, 47, told AFP. “I had to claw through pieces of people who had already been burned to bits.”

The tragedy comes during a highly publicized federal government war on fuel theft, a problem that cost Mexico an estimated $3 billion in 2017.

Acting attorney general Alejandro Gertz described the latest disaster as “intentional” because “someone caused that leak. And the fire was a consequence of the crime.” But he acknowledged that investigators would be hampered by the fact that “the people closest to the explosion died.”

Federal and state fire fighters and ambulances run by state oil company Pemex rushed to help victims with burns and take the injured to hospitals. Local medical facilities struggled to cope with the flood of arriving victims, said AFP correspondents at the scene.

The fire had been brought under control by around midnight Friday, the security ministry said. Pemex said it was also responding to another fire at a botched pipeline tap in the central state of Queretaro, though in that case there were no victims.

Mexico is regularly rocked by deadly explosions at illegal pipeline taps, a dangerous but lucrative business whose players include powerful drug cartels and corrupt Pemex insiders.

Fayad said that two hours after the pipeline was punctured, “we were informed that there had been an explosion” and the flames “were consuming everything around.” About 15 oil pipeline explosions and fires causing more than 50 fatalities each have occurred around the world since 1993.

Most were in Nigeria, where in 1998 more than 1,000 people died in such a blast. A fire after a pipeline rupture in Brazil killed more than 500 people in 1984. The tragedy comes as anti-corruption crusader Lopez Obrador presses implementation of a controversial fuel theft prevention plan.

The government has shut off major pipelines until they can be fully secured and deployed the army to guard Pemex production facilities. But the strategy to fight the problem led to severe gasoline and diesel shortages across much of the country, including Mexico City, forcing people to queue for hours  sometimes days to fill up their vehicles.

The president, who took office on December 1, has vowed to keep up the fight and asked Mexicans to be patient. At the scene, some locals blamed the shortages for the tragedy.

“A lot of people arrived with their jerrycans because of the gasoline shortages we’ve had,” said Martin Trejo, 55, who was searching for his son, one of those who had gone to collect the leaking fuel.

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Asim Munir appointed Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, to serve 5-year term

Field Marshal Asim Munir has been appointed Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, consolidating top military authority under a new constitutional amendment.

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16 hours ago

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December 5, 2025

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Pakistan has named Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as its first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), marking a major restructuring in the country’s military command. The appointment was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari following a formal recommendation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Munir to hold dual charge as COAS and CDF

According to the President’s office, Munir will serve concurrently as Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces for a five-year tenure. The creation of the CDF role — introduced under the 27th Constitutional Amendment — aims to centralise top-level military authority.

This decision comes after days of speculation due to delays in issuing the official notification, which was originally expected on November 29, the day Munir’s previous three-year term as army chief ended.

Former Indian security official Tilak Devasher had earlier commented to media that the Prime Minister appeared to be avoiding issuing the notification, leading to confusion within Pakistan’s military command structure.

Zardari also approves extension for Air Chief

Alongside Munir’s elevation, President Zardari approved a two-year service extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, effective from March 2026. The President extended his best wishes to both officers.

Munir, promoted to Field Marshal earlier this year, becomes only the second military officer in Pakistan’s history to hold this rank — the first being Gen. Ayub Khan.

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Imran Khan accuses Asim Munir of mental torture, says sister after rare jail meeting

Imran Khan has alleged “mental torture” inside Adiala Jail, according to his sister who met him after weeks of blocked access. The family claims authorities are withholding information about his condition.

Published

3 days ago

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December 2, 2025

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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has alleged that he is being “mentally tortured” in prison and held General Asim Munir responsible for his continued isolation, according to his sister Dr Uzma Khanum, who met him inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for 20 minutes.

Sister says Khan “angry” over isolation

Dr Khanum told reporters that her brother is allowed out of his cell only briefly and has no means of communication with the outside world. She said Khan expressed anger over the conditions in which he is being held, stating he remains confined all day with no access to his family or party members.

She also said Imran Khan directly blamed General Asim Munir — now seen as Pakistan’s most powerful authority, having consolidated military control and secured lifetime immunity for top officials — for the treatment he is receiving in custody.

Meeting follows weeks of denied access

The rare meeting came after weeks of barred family visits, which fuelled speculation about Khan’s health. His sisters earlier claimed they were assaulted when they sought permission to meet him, while his sons publicly alleged that jail authorities were concealing “something irreversible” about his condition.

One of his sons, Kasim Khan, told media that despite a court order for weekly family meetings, they had no direct or verified contact.

Family members also said prison authorities repeatedly refused entry to Imran Khan’s personal doctor.

Rumours and protests intensify

Before Tuesday’s meeting, neither his relatives nor his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf colleagues had seen him for over 25 days, triggering widespread rumours of his death — speculation that officials did not counter with proof of life even as pressure mounted on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government.

PTI’s Senator Khurram Zeeshan claimed Khan was being kept in isolation to force him into leaving Pakistan and accused authorities of withholding photos or videos due to fears over his influence.

The situation has sparked protests across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including demonstrations outside the Islamabad High Court.

In jail since August 2023

Imran Khan, the 72-year-old former cricketer and World Cup-winning captain, has been incarcerated since August 2023. Rumours about his wellbeing first circulated from social media accounts in Afghanistan, at a time when both countries have been locked in military tensions over a border dispute.

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Trump pledges permanent pause on migration from Third World countries in Thanksgiving message

US President Donald Trump declared that migration from all Third World countries will be permanently paused, criticising current immigration policies and announcing measures to remove non-citizens who he says do not benefit the US.

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1 week ago

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November 28, 2025

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US President Donald Trump has announced that he will “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries”, asserting that the move is necessary for the United States to “recover” and “heal”. His remarks were delivered in a Thanksgiving post, where he sharply criticised the Biden administration’s immigration policies and outlined sweeping measures aimed at restricting migration and removing non-citizens who, he says, do not contribute to the country.

Trump said he intends to reverse what he described as “illegal admissions”, end federal benefits for non-citizens, and strip citizenship from migrants who pose security concerns. He also reiterated plans to deport individuals he considers a “public charge” or “non-compatible with Western Civilization”.

The statement came shortly after two members of the National Guard were shot near the White House, an attack Trump called an “act of terror”.

One National Guard member dies after Washington shooting

Trump confirmed that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, one of the two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot near Farragut West Metro station on Wednesday, died of her injuries. The ambush occurred while Trump was in Florida.

The alleged shooter was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the US in September 2021, according to enforcement officials.

‘Reverse migration’ needed, says Trump

In his post, Trump said his actions aim to significantly reduce “illegal and disruptive populations”, adding that only “reverse migration” can address the current situation. He accused the Biden administration of admitting migrants through an “unauthorized and illegal” approval process.

Concluding his message, he wished Americans a Happy Thanksgiving but added that those who “hate, steal, murder, and destroy” would “not be here for long”.

Attacks on foreign populations and Minnesota officials

Trump also targeted Somali refugees in Minnesota, alleging that gangs from the community are creating fear on the streets. He accused the Minnesota Governor of failing to address the situation due to “fear or incompetence”.

He further criticised Ilhan Omar, accusing her of complaining about the US despite her origins in a “crime ridden” nation.

Comments on America’s foreign-born population

Citing Census estimates, Trump claimed that the US foreign-born population stood at 53 million, alleging that “most are on welfare” or come from “failed nations” or criminal backgrounds. He said American citizens continue to support this population despite personal discomfort.

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