Mexican firefighters try to extinguish fire after the explosion of a Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) pipeline in the village of San Martin Texmelucan in Puebla state, Mexico, on December 19, 2010. At least 27 people were slain early Sunday when the pipeline exploded in central Mexico, the authorithies said.
Earlier on Sunday, an official of the Puebla state government told Xinhua by telephone that the explosion took place after the two criminals tapping oil pipelines by the city of Puebla, San Martin Texmelucan lost control of oil flow.
Puebla The official said that 33 houses were completely destroyed by the explosion and 32 others were severely damaged. Pemex said a total of 115 homes were affected. Regional governments are now moving 5,000 people from the city to the emergency shelter and clean Angeles Blancos are working. Pemex said the incident started at 5.50 hours local time. The fire was extinguished by 10 am local time. Pemex researchers at the place to find the cause of the explosion. The area is now guarded by 125 soldiers, it added.
Valentin Meneses, who heads Puebla’s Interior Ministry, told the media that 10 of the dead from one family, whose house was near the explosion site. He is on the site of the incident. The nation Interior Minister Francisco Blake Mora, traveling to San Martin. The two are set at a joint news conference later on Sunday to give.
More than 25 vehicles were burned and windows were smashed at a radius of three kilometers from the explosion site, Alberto Perez, who staffs the state emergency phone lines, told local media. The explosion took place near San Martin Texmelucan, where Pemex owns a large chemical factory.
Perez said rescuers included soldiers and firefighters from the state capital of Puebla City, San Martin, Huejotzingo, and the neighboring state of Tlaxcala.
Residents of San Francisco Tepeyacac small town, about 10 km from the explosion, told Xinhua that a moving column of poisonous gas from the explosion site to Puebla City, which is about 250 km east of Mexico City.
Miguel Angel Martinez, who heads Puebla state civil protection department, told local media that the smoke had reached a height of 50 meters.
Pemex sources said that parts of the nearby Atoyac River also suffered contamination.
source&image:xinhua
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