“It can take days, weeks or months for the identification of the remains,” acknowledged Fayad , who said he has the support of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to send the remains to laboratories abroad where identification can be achieved.
The most seriously injured are treated in Mexico City, while three minors will be treated in a specialized clinic for burned children in Texas, United States, the governor said.
Momento de la Explosión de toma clandestina en #Tlahuelilpan #Hidalgo #México#DakarEnAmerica #19Ene #Sábado pic.twitter.com/c86IPtuB0Q
— Roberto (@LibertadIdeal) January 19, 2019
In a church in the town of Tlahuelilpan, where the catastrophe occurred, dozens of people gathered at mid-afternoon to dismiss the deceased and accompany their families.
“Something like this had to happen in order for us to reflect,” said Miguel Hernández , a 29-year-old motorcyclist from the area.
The pipeline was punctured Friday afternoon by criminals who caused the departure of a powerful jet of gasoline, similar to a geyser, according to local media images.
The escape attracted some 700 inhabitants of Tlahuelilpan, including entire families, who with buckets and jerry cans collected gasoline when they were surprised by the explosion.
In the middle of the immense ball of fire everything was chaos: people shouting and running while burning in flames or exhibiting severe burns on the body.
“Many people were already in that, there is a good reflection in not continuing to support the illegal purchase of gasoline,” added Hernandez.
A few meters from the church, several people were still looking for their relatives.
Many put photographs of their loved ones with contact information and the legend “is sought” in a cultural center of the town where there are federal government personnel.
Next to the photos, the government projected a list with the disappeared persons, with particular signs and a telephone contact.
“We already get tired of looking at hospitals,” said Moisés Mejía , 54, who, accompanied by family members, was looking for his wife Karina Ugalde and her sister-in-law Angelica.
“We already gave his dad’s DNA to see if they are in (nearby) Tula, we demand that they look for more (in the place of the explosion), why did they throw dirt there?” He added.
In the disaster area there were only military men guarding the perimeter. The search efforts finished from Saturday night.
The delivery of bodies was slow because it depends on genetic tests.
Meanwhile, funerals took place in Tlahuelilpan. “It’s gone forever!” Said a woman while the remains of César Jiménez are transferred in a hearse.
Mexico’s attorney general, Alejandro Gertz , said they continue to evaluate hypotheses about the causes of the explosion.
Asked if the wounded will be considered suspects for having been looting state property, Gertz said that those responsible will be sought without “victimizing the communities.”
The disaster occurs when the government of the leftist López Obrador applies a strategy to combat fuel theft and trafficking, popularly known as “huachicoleo”, a crime that generates annual losses of about 3,000 million dollars to the State, according to official data.
Meanwhile, the governments of the United States and Canada expressed their condolences to the relatives during the weekend and offered help to Mexico to face the tragedy.
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