MEXICO CITY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 people were killed and 71 others injured in a pipeline explosion in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo on Friday, local authorities said.
"I am at the scene ... At the moment, 21 deaths and 71 injured are reported," tweeted Omar Fayad, governor of Hidalgo.
Fayad said the local government was coordinating rescue efforts and helping the injured was top priority.
He warned locals against fuel theft, noting that "besides being unlawful, it puts your life and that of the families at risk."
"What happened today in Tlahuelilpan should not be repeated," Fayad said.
The accident occurred at around 7:00 p.m. local time (0100 GMT) at a pipeline spot in the community of San Primitivo of the municipality of Tlahuelilpan, when dozens of people gathered around the leak to collect fuel.
Video footage showed that the oil sprouting metres into the air as people approached with buckets at about 5:04 p.m. local time (2304 GMT).
State-owned petroleum company Pemex said that the pipeline had been illegally tapped.
Specialized staff are responding to the fire on the site, which is not yet under control, Pemex said.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed regret over the incident on Twitter, saying that he had instructed emergency workers to bring the fire under control and treat the victims.
He has launched a major crackdown on increasing fuel theft in Mexico, which cost the country some 3 billion U.S. dollars last year.
The death toll from the blast could rise further as 48 people have been badly injured.
