Mexico Tragic Gas Explosion

Mexico Tragic Gas Explosion

 

The death toll rose to 85 due to the explosion on Friday of a fuel pipeline as it was looted by hundreds of civilians in central Mexico, the government reported Sunday, while relatives were already burying some of the dead.
“In these hours we have added another six that give us a figure of 85 deaths,” said Health Minister, Jorge Alcocer, at a press conference from the presidential palace in Mexico City .The six new deaths are from people receiving medical attention, which reduced the number of hospitalized victims to 58 in both the state of Hidalgo, where the disaster occurred, and in medical centers in the neighboring state of Mexico and the capital of the country.So far, 59 of the bodies have not been identified due to their state of calcination , Hidalgo Governor Omar Fayad said, adding that 54 families have submitted DNA samples to support their recognition.He also explained that 65 people have filed legal complaints because their relatives do not appear , although he estimated that they could be among the hospitalized or among the unidentified remains.

“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.

 

 

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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