The day CDMX vibrated (and not with a party)
It seems that the plot of the next season of La Rosa de Guadalupe escaped us from the screen and landed on Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza. President Claudia Sheinbaum, in her now traditional morning session (the morning podcast that no one asked for but we all ended up listening to), dropped the bomb: they are going to tighten the controls for the transportation of fuel. The trigger? A pipe explosion in Iztapalapa that sounded louder than the scream of a diner at a taco stand when his onions are missing, and that left a tragic balance of six dead and ninety injured. A chaos that not even the most audacious Netflix screenwriter would have dared to imagine.
The president, in “here I am the one in charge” mode, declared that this is not going to remain the typical “we will investigate.” Work is being done to strengthen all permit regulation for companies that are dedicated to moving hydrocarbons around the country. Basically, if your business is carrying gasoline or LP gas, be prepared to have even your Instagram profile history reviewed. The objective is clear: to prevent such a tragedy, which smacks of negligence and lack of controls, from being repeated.
Huachicol, prosecutors and insurance: the explosive combo
When asked about the transfer of hazardous material, Sheinbaum did not beat around the bush. He said this is a direct extension of the traceability procedure that was implemented to combat huachicol. In other words, what began as a hunt against fuel theft has now evolved to also ensure that what is transported legally does not end up turning an avenue into a Mad Max scene. “This whole traceability procedure started and it goes for all the transportation of fuel,” he said, as if to say “I already warned you.”
And of course, in these national dramas, institutions with acronyms can never be missing. The Secretary of Energy and the ASEA (Security, Energy and Environment Agency) are in the eye of the hurricane, working at all costs to strengthen security measures. Because, let’s be honest, after what happened yesterday, standing idly by is not an option that citizens are going to swallow.
The President herself confirmed that the case was reviewed in the Federal Security Cabinet. Imagine the scene: everyone around a table, with a “we did it again” look, deciding the next guidelines. Sheinbaum even admitted that he already talked about the issue. “There are institutions that have to do with the permits that are granted to companies that transport LP gas and gasoline,” he explained, introducing terms such as “fiscal huachicol” or “fuel smuggling” into the conversation. Because in the end, the underlying problem is always the same: the opacity and corruption that allow these things to happen.
But not everything is criticism and pointing out. There was a small glimmer of hope in this sea of misfortunes. The company that owns the pipe, Silza, promised to activate its insurance policies to assist the victims. Sheinbaum celebrated it with a “that’s great,” because, come on, in a country where many companies run away as if they had been told that there are taxes, for one to assume its responsibility is almost a miracle. “It’s good that they participate in caring for the victims,” he acknowledged, although with that tone of “it was the least they could do.”
The medical report: numbers that hurt more than a hangover
Meanwhile, on the medical front, the situation was as intense as an episode of Grey’s Anatomy but with less romance and more reality. The director of the IMSS, Zoé Robledo, presented the report: 26 people treated at his institution, one of them deceased, six discharged and 19 still hospitalized. Ten of them, in serious condition, were transferred to a hospital specialized in trauma. Even the pipe driver is receiving care, although his health remains a mystery, because, quote, “we have to be very respectful of privacy.” I mean, don’t even ask, because you won’t get the full story.
But the IMSS was not the only one in the game. The ISSSTE, with Martí Batres at the head, reported 32 people treated. Half were discharged because their injuries were minor (bless the small victories), but the other half remain hospitalized. Five of them are serious, with burns covering more than 50% of their bodies. An image that chills your blood more than mint ice cream in December. They even managed to resuscitate a patient who suffered cardiorespiratory arrest during transport. Authentic heroes in white coats doing their thing.
To top it off, the head of IMSS Bienestar, Alejandro Svarch, explained that they are still caring for 27 patients, some in hospitals specialized in burns and even minors in a pediatric hospital. And in case anyone had doubts, the President clarified that all medical care will be free. “They enter a public hospital and the care is free,” he stated. What comes next, such as repairing the damage, is up to the company. At least in that, there is no room for confusion.
In the end, it all comes down to one uncomfortable truth: this can’t happen again. Sheinbaum said it clearly: we must seek non-repetition. Determine what happened, why the pipe caught fire, and make sure no one else has to live through a nightmare like that. Because a tragedy of this magnitude not only hurts; demands real changes. And hopefully this time, the promises will not be blown away by the wind, like so many other times.
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