Overview
- A powerful blast tore through a vehicle impound in San Pedro Tlaquepaque late Monday night, leaving four men dead and damaging at least one tanker and another vehicle.
- Firefighters from the municipal department and Jalisco’s state protection unit contained the blaze within about an hour and secured the site to prevent further risk.
- Officials reported early evidence that the tanker held residues of brea or chapopote rather than fresh fuel and that on-site welding equipment and a soplete were found near the vehicle.
- The Ministerio Público has taken charge of the case and the Instituto Jalisciense de Ciencias Forenses is performing peritajes and victim identification to determine the definitive cause.
- Authorities warned that hot work on tanks that once held hydrocarbons can gasify residues and ignite without proper gas-freeing procedures, and they pushed back on initial social-media claims that the tanker contained stolen fuel.