Mexican tanker catches fire, crew safe

A huge Mexican oil tanker has caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico but caused no human casualties.

The tanker, operated by Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), was carrying 80,000 barrels of diesel oil and 70,000 barrels of gasoline from Coatzacoalcos, in the southern part of Veracruz State, to the port of Veracruz on Saturday when it caught fire.

The incident took place off the coast of Boca del Rio in Veracruz State.

Pemex said all its crew members were safe, adding, however, that firefighting teams were still working to extinguish the fire.

It was not clear what caused the fire, and whether any environmental damage was done.

The fire follows a series of other mishaps that have been shaking the struggling oil company. Pemex has already been coping with major losses due to unprecedented drops in oil prices, increased competition, and sharp budget cuts.

In April, an explosion at a petrochemical plant belonging to a joint venture between Pemex and another firm, also in Veracruz, left more than 30 people dead and dozens of others injured.

In 2015, a fire at a Pemex platform in the Bay of Campeche killed three people, affecting oil output and costing the company up to 780 million dollars.

In 2013, at least 37 people were killed in another blast at Pemex’s Mexico City headquarters, and in 2012, 26 people died in a fire at a Pemex natural gas facility in northern Mexico.

Mexico is among the top ten oil producing countries of the world.

In April 2010, the Macondo blowout in the Gulf of Mexico on the British-owned BP oil company Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused a sea-floor oil gusher, which continued for 87 days, until it was capped.

A massive oil spill was caused as a result, seriously damaging the environment.

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