Tuxtlilla, Veracruz — A Thursday morning gas explosion in a Pemex pipeline in Veracruz has left one dead and one injured. Early Thursday, an explosion occurred in a gas pipeline of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
According to local media, the explosion occurred in an area known as Mata Caña – Rancho Nuevo around 5:00 a.m. Elements of the Mexican Army, National Guard and Public Security arrived at the scene to close roads.
Pemex Physical Security personnel also arrived to close the pipeline valves and try to control the fire. The Secretary of State Civil Protection, Guadalupe Osorno Maldonado, confirmed that the flow of gas was controlled by Pemex personnel.
“The DN-III-E Plan and the National Guard Plan for Aid were activated and the population of nearby towns has been evacuated as a precaution,” he explained.
According to Froylán Estrada Rendón, the mayor of Tuxtilla, the deceased is a man who was traveling the dirt road on his motorcycle at the exact moment of the explosion.
The second person injured was also a motorist who was driving along the dirt road in his truck at the time the gas line exploded. Estrada Rendón did not rule out the possibility of more injuries since the line is near farm land and farmers tend to make their rounds around that time of day.
