(MEXICO CITY) — A large explosion attributed to a gas leak in east-central Mexico’s Puebla state has left at least one dead, 15 injured and damaged between 30 to 50 buildings, local government authorities are reporting.
Search and rescue crews are working to find people who could be trapped under collapsed buildings.
Around 1:34 a.m. local time, a gas leak was reported and around 2,000 people within 1 kilometer of the leak were evacuated, Puebla State Government officials said at a press conference Sunday.
The first of three explosions happened at 2:50 a.m., which officials said may have been caused by an illegal tap.
Of those hospitalized, four are minors and seven are adults. Five people are listed in serious condition, officials said.
“It is regrettable that one person has lost his/her life so far, and fifteen more are injured, due to the explosion of a Pemex pipeline in Puebla,” Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in a statement Sunday. “Pemex has the fire under control and will ensure that families evicted from their homes remain safe.”
ABC News’ Anne Lauren contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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