- A gas tanker truck allegedly carrying stolen fuel exploded into a massive fireball in Mexico
- Videos circulating on social media showed the moment the tanker went up in flames near Tepeaca
- Puebla's Civil Protection authority posted on X that approximately 2,000 people were evacuated from a hospital
A gas tanker truck allegedly carrying stolen fuel exploded into a massive fireball in the Mexican state of Puebla on Thursday morning, triggering a large-scale evacuation of residents, hospital patients and schoolchildren in the area.
Videos circulating on social media showed the moment the tanker went up in flames near Tepeaca, a small city roughly 35 kilometres east of Puebla.
In one clip, filmed from a busy city street, a large fire is already visible in the background when the tanker suddenly explodes, sending a bright orange mushroom-shaped fireball into the sky. A deep boom echoes across the area as thick black smoke begins rising into the air.
A second video captures the panic that followed, with crowds of people running down the street away from the blast site.
The tanks exploded on a property in Tepeaca at around 10 in the morning, prompting authorities to scramble to contain the blaze and move people out of the surrounding area.
Puebla's Civil Protection authority posted on X that approximately 2,000 people were evacuated from a hospital, schools and nearby homes as a precautionary measure following the explosion.
The tanker was allegedly transporting smuggled gasoline at the time of the explosion. It remains unclear whether anyone was killed or injured in the blast. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
