Oil pipeline explodes in Mexico sending flames shooting 16ft into the sky and causing a blackout in surrounding neighbourhoods ‘after thieves tried to steal fuel’

• The oil pipeline, located in the Mexican city of Leon, exploded last night causing mass blackouts in the city 
• The explosion occurred after a group of bandits botched an attempt to steal petroleum from the pipeline
• Soldiers from the Mexican Army were called in to guard the blaze, which did not end up causing any injuries 
• Oil theft is a large trade for the country’s cartels, sapping more than £1 billion worth of state revenue annually 

An oil pipeline has exploded in the Mexican city of Leon in the aftermath of a botched attempt to steal fuel by one of the country’s notorious drug cartels. 

Flames reaching as high as sixteen feet were the only lights some residents of the central Mexican city could see on Saturday night as the explosion caused mass blackouts. 

The explosion occurred after a group of ‘huachicoleros’ – cartel bandits who steal petrol and adulterated alcohol –  were trying to pilfer oil from the pipeline when they accidentally caused the explosion. 

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  Fifteen foot flames were seen in Leon, Mexico after criminals caused an explosion while trying to tap into an oil pipeline

  

  The Mexican Army was called in to the town to guard the perimeter and keep watch over the fire. No one was injured in the incident

  The country’s army was called in to keep watch over the blaze to ensure the safety of Leon’s residents.  

  Firefighters eventually got the blaze under control without any recorded injuries.

  The pipeline in question belongs to the state-owned oil firm Pemex, which is one of the world’s largest petroleum companies.

  Theft from oil pipelines has become a large industry in Mecixo for the country’s notorious cartels.   

  Gangs of ‘huachicoleros’ scale the country, drilling into unguarded pipelines to steal thousands of litres of oil at a time. 

  

  Oil theft is a large trade for the country’s notorious drug cartels. The practice saps more than £1 billion worth of state revenue annually 

  

  A man takes a photo of the fire from a distance. The fire caused a mass blackout on Saturday night for the city’s residents

  With Pemex’s status as Mexico’s largest oil company, the practice has become a drain on the nation’s public finances. 

  It has been reported that the cartel’s activities deprive the state of more than £1 billion in revenue every year.  

  Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered the temporary closure of some of the country’s largest oil pipelines in an attempt to combat the problem.

  Source: Read Full Article