A woman carries a cross with the name Cesar Jimenez Brito during his funeral procession after he died when a gas pipeline exploded in the village of Tlahuelilpan, Mexico, Sunday Jan. 20, 2019. A massive fireball that engulfed locals scooping up fuel spilling from a pipeline ruptured by thieves in central Mexico killed dozens of people and badly burned dozens more on Jan. 18. (AP Photo/Claudio Cruz)
January 25, 2019 - 5:42 AM
MEXICO CITY - The death toll in a massive fire at an illegally tapped pipeline in Mexico has risen to 109 after ten more injured people died at hospitals.
Mexico's Health Secretary said Friday that 10 victims who were severely burned died between Wednesday and early Friday.
Jorge Alcocer said hospitals continue to treat about 40 injured victims.
The victims were gathering gasoline from an illegal pipeline tap in the central state of Hidalgo a week ago Friday when the gas ignited, littering an alfalfa field with charred bodies.
About half of those who initially survived have since died of their injuries.
A total of 14,894 illegal taps were found throughout Mexico in 2018
News from © The Associated Press, 2019