MEXICO CITY, May 13 -- Four people were killed in a pipeline explosion on Saturday in Mexico's Gulf Coast state of Veracruz.
The blast was caused by the theft of fuel from the Minatitlan-Mexico pipeline belonging to state oil company Pemex, both local and federal authorities said.
The blast and subsequent fire occurred at 9 a.m. local time (1400 GMT) along a stretch of pipeline between the communities of Cerritos and El Mango, in the town of Tierra Blanca, in central Veracruz.
Tierra Blanca's Mayor Saul Lara told local XEU News that the four, all men ranging in age from 70 to 16, were residents of Cerritos who were driving by the explosion site in a Nissan Tsuru.
"They tell me that ... the explosion likely reached the vehicle," said Lara.
Pemex personnel put out the fire after reducing the flow of fuel through the pipeline, the company said in a statement.
"Stealing fuel poses a serious risk to people, communities and the environment," Pemex added.
Earlier this month, four soldiers and six civilians were killed in two clashes between state forces and members of a criminal ring in central Puebla state over the theft of fuel.