Gas leak triggers fire in Mexico, 2000 evacuated

A leaking gas pipeline exploded in western Mexico, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people, and injuring at least three, as crews battled Friday to put out the blaze. The fire broke out Thursday evening in the town of Zapotlanejo near a highway and forced authorities to close the road, said Trinidad Lopez Rivas, head of the emergency services department in Jalisco state. She said the pipe was ruptured by construction crews working in the area. The accident injured two firefighters and an employee of the state-owned energy company Pemex. Officials said they expect to have the fire extinguished later Friday. In September two powerful gas explosions triggered a major fire in a refinery in the northeast state of Tamaulipas, killing 30 Pemex workers in one of the company's worst accidents ever.