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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | January 2008 
Thieves in Mexico Cause Rupture in Fuel Pipeline
 Miguel Hernandez - Associated Press
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Veracruz, Mexico Thieves ruptured a pipeline that crosses the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, spilling at least 79,000 gallons of diesel fuel and forcing the evacuation of 350 people on Thursday.
The diesel spilled across at least 1,000 square feet in the city of Rio Blanco, 80 miles west of Veracruz city, said state civil protection director Ranulfo Marquez Hernandez. Marquez said no one was injured.
State-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, issued a statement that 1,500 people had been evacuated for their safety. Pemex said it had not yet determined the amount of fuel spilled but said the leak was blocked soon after it was discovered.
At one point diesel fuel shot 25 feet into the air from the 24-inch pipeline, according to residents of the area, who told city officials that individuals who were clearly not workers for Pemex had been illegally extracting the fuel since Wednesday morning, Marquez said.
The residents filed complaints, he said. Some said the thieves were able to take away eight tanker trucks filled with stolen diesel before the accident happened.
Mexican authorities are struggling to stop the theft of fuel from Pemex. A smuggling network in Veracruz supplies an extensive black market for fuel. |
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