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Mexico Investigates Oil and Gas Pipeline Blasts

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Mexican authorities are investigating a series of gas and oil pipeline explosions that forced the evacuation of thousands of people in eastern Veracruz state.

The six explosions caused fires along the pipelines Monday, but there were no reports of casualties.

The blasts caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to state oil monopoly Pemex, which called the explosions an act of sabotage. The company immediately shut down the affected lines.

Pemex also said that domestic supplies, not international exports, would be affected.

As a result of the explosions, one of Mexico's largest automotive plants, Volkswagen AG, suspended production at its Puebla plant because of a lack of natural gas.

The leftist rebel group known as the People's Revolutionary Army has claimed responsibility for the explosions and said it carried out similar attacks in the past few months.

Also Monday, a truck loaded with chemical fertilizer exploded after colliding with another vehicle in the northern mining state of Coahuila. The collision sparked an explosion and a massive fireball that killed at least 29 people and injured 150 others.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AP.

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