The government has expressed its sympathy to the people of Mexico for the victims of the fuel pipeline exposition in the city of Tlahuelilpan, state of Hidalgo*, Friday.

"Costa Rica joins the solidarity with the families of the victims and those affected by the serious emergency, and it expresses the hope for a speedy return to normalcy in the communities that have suffered from the fire in the country of Mexico. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will be able to overcome this painful tragedy, the government hopes. "

According to Luis Cresencio Sandoval, secretary of Defense of Mexico, "between 600 and 800 people stole fuel with buckets right at the a pipeline belonging to Pemex when the exposition occurred. It t took hours for the authorities to stop the fire." Pemex is the state agency in charge of production and distribution of petroleum products.

According to the Mexican Red Cross after the explosion, the flames were rising more than 20 meters. The explosion shock wave affected hundreds of people who were collecting gasoline in a field very close to the road that connects Teltipan with Tlahuelilpan in Hidalgo.

For his part Jorge Alcocer, secretary of Health, confirmed Sunday the death of 79 people. The accident also left 81 people injured, of which 66 people remain hospitalized.

López Obrador from the Presidential House said that fuel transportation regulations will continue. "We are going to continue with the same policy. I know this is painful, a regrettable lessons that help to people will also stay away from these practices," said the Mexican president.

The Mexican government launched a strategy to stop fuel theft and deployed 3,200 soldiers to protect pipelines and refineries. It also ordered the temporary closing of pipelines, which generated problems in fuel distribution and, consequently, shortages.

Pipeline thefts and fires happen in Costa Rica, too.  A.M. Costa Rica reported last  September the fire department and the police responded to a fuel spill on a property located next to Route 1, near the town of Coyol in Alajuela*. The police reported they found illegal removal of fuel at the location where a hose was connected to a 12-inch pipeline. This is characteristic of the maneuvers used to steal fuel.