The death toll from the explosion of a pipeline ruptured by suspected fuel thieves in central Mexico has risen to 66, the governor of the state of Hidalgo said yesterday.

At a news conference with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Hidalgo Governor Omar Fayad said 76 people had also been injured in Friday evening's explosion, which happened as people tried to fill containers with fuel.

Dozens of burned bodies lay in the charred field where the blast occurred in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan as forensic experts inspected and photographed the remains. Soldiers and other military personnel surrounded the cordoned-off area.

Military personnel watch as flames engulf an area after a ruptured fuel pipeline exploded, in the municipality of Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo, Mexico, near the Tula refinery of state oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), on January 18, 2019. Photo: Handout photo provided by the National Defence Secretary (SEDENA) via Reuters

The field was littered with half-burned shoes and clothes as well as with buckets and drums used by people to collect fuel. Relatives of victims stood huddled together, some crying.

People gather at the site of the ruptured pipeline before the tragedy. photo: Reuters

Lopez Obrador pledged to step up his government's drive to stamp out fuel theft, which has cost the country billions of dollars in the last few years.

Video footage showed residents scrambling to fill containers from the burst pipe and badly burned victims, raising questions about the management of an issue Lopez Obrador has made a top priority since taking office on Dec 1. Obrador launched a crackdown on fuel theft on Dec 27 and ordered pipelines to be closed temporarily to stop illegal taps.

Video on social media of people filling buckets from the pipeline during daylight hours in the presence of the armed forces prompted questions about why authorities had not acted.

The government said soldiers reached the scene after Pemex detected the illegal tap, but could not secure the area in time.