Fuel theft incident in Mexico causes explosion

An explosion at a Pemex pipeline Saturday morning has resulted in one death and injuries to five people in the municipality of Ixtaczoquitlán in Veracruz state. The blast occurred during an illegal pipeline tapping operation.

That evening, Pemex confirmed the information on its Twitter account and noted that the fire had been extinguished. No information has been released regarding pipeline damage or oil spills.

It was the latest in a series of deadly incidents involving fuel theft. On May 13, a hot tap on a Veracruz pipeline from the Minatitlán refinery to Mexico City led to an explosion, killing four. On May 3, four soldiers and six civilians were killed during clashes linked to an attempted tap in Puebla.

Around 35,000 barrels of fuel are stolen in Mexico each day. Authorities reported 6,873 illegal taps on pipelines last year, resulting in a financial loss of MXN 30.8 billion (USD 1.49 billion).