Tula de Allende, Hidalgo — At least two people were killed Saturday when an LP truck refilling a gas station tank exploded. The massive ball of fire could be seen for kilometers after the entire gas station went up in flames.
According to the National Guard, the truck was refilling a gas station tank with LP gas in Tula de Allende Saturday morning when it suddenly exploded. The entire gas station was completely destroyed.
A section of a nearby four-story building suffered extensive damage with its white exterior left charred and several windows blown out.
The urban area explosion happened just before 9:00 a.m. at a gas station located along the Tula-Tlahuelilpan highway in the state of Hidalgo. According to early information, a cloud of leaking gas began to form just before the explosion.
Guillermo Olivares, the Secretary of Government of Hidalgo, confirmed the truck was refueling an LP tank at the time of the accident.
In a statement, the Hidalgo Public Security Secretariat reported that the fatal explosion was the result of human error.
At the time of publication, two people were reported dead on site. Four more were found with extensive injuries, while two others were reported missing.
A total of 16 vehicles were destroyed in the early morning blast of which, authorities detailed, 10 were private vehicles at the gas station at the time of the explosion. People from inside the private vehicles were seen running from the gas station when the LP refill truck exploded.
The fire quickly spread to include the rest of the gas station. A security fence was put in place to preserve the scene. Elements of the National Guard were brought in to secure the area.
