20 Dec 2010

Fatal pipeline blast in Mexico

2:16 pm on 20 December 2010

Officials in Mexico say at least 27 people have been killed and 52 injured in a big explosion at an oil pipeline near Puebla, in the centre of the country.

Puebla state secretary Valentin Meneses said the explosion was triggered by thieves trying to siphon off oil from the pipeline, which belongs to the state oil company, Pemex.

He says more than 100 homes were damaged by the blast.