Mexico battles fire at gas pipeline outside capital, 4 injured

MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s state-run oil company is battling a fire at a pipeline north of Mexico City that injured four people.

Pemex says the fire was caused by an illegal tap drilled by fuel thieves. It broke out Monday in the town of Acolman just northeast of Mexico City and dozens of residents were evacuated before the blaze was brought under control.

Acolman civil defence officer Oscar Rebollo says the four people injured are local residents whose home was affected by the fire. There was no immediate information on their condition.

Pemex detects more than a thousand illegal taps at its pipelines each year, and such incidents frequently cause fires or explosions.