![firefighters are working at extinguishing the fire at the scene of a massive blaze trigerred by a leaky pipeline in tlahuelilpan hidalgo state on january 19 2019 photo afp firefighters are working at extinguishing the fire at the scene of a massive blaze trigerred by a leaky pipeline in tlahuelilpan hidalgo state on january 19 2019 photo afp](https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/1896373-afpmexicogaspipelineexplosion_cdo-1548395106/1896373-afpmexicogaspipelineexplosion_cdo-1548395106.jpg)
Last Friday, the fuel-line in Hidalgo State was deliberately punctured, drawing hundreds of people looking to gather gasoline before it ignited.
The disaster occurred as the government wages a huge effort to clamp down on fuel theft, which costs Mexico an estimated $3 billion in 2017.
The so-called ‘huachicol’, as the stolen fuel is known in Mexico, costs about half of market price.
Mexico is regularly rocked by deadly explosions at illegal pipeline taps, a dangerous but lucrative business whose players include powerful drug cartels and corrupt Pemex insiders.
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