Five people die in fire outside Pemex's Olmeca refinery in Mexico
MEXICO CITY, March 17 (Reuters) - Five people died outside Pemex's Olmeca refinery after "oily waters" around the perimeter of the site caught fire, the Mexican state energy company said in a statement on Tuesday.
One of the people who died was a Pemex worker, it added.
Pemex pointed to heavy rains as a contributing factor of the accident, and said it is working with authorities to determine the exact cause.
"Due to heavy rains that caused oily water to overflow outside the Olmeca refinery, the liquid pooled and subsequently ignited outside the facility’s perimeter fence," Pemex said in a statement.
Located in the southern state of Tabasco in the Gulf port of Dos Bocas, Olmeca is among Mexico's largest refineries and began operations in 2024.
It has faced a series of operating problems, including
recent stoppages
, and remains far from its maximum processing capacity of 340,000 barrels per day (bpd).
