Death Toll Reaches 79 in Mexico Fuel Pipeline Fire Horror

(L) Soldiers guard in the area near an oil pipeline explosion in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo state, Mexico, Jan. 18, 2019. (Secretary of National Defense via AP) (R) The ground is scorched where an oil pipeline exploded in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo state, Mexico, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019. AP Photo/Alexis Triboulard

People in the town where a gasoline explosion killed at least 79 people say the section of pipeline that gushed fuel has been a habitual gathering site for thieves, repeatedly damaged and patched like a trusty pair of jeans.