Deadly explosion at gas storage tank in central Mexico

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At least five people have been killed and three injured in a gas explosion in the central Mexican state of Puebla, officials say.

It is not yet clear what caused the blast at the natural gas storage plant at the Chachapa industrial park.

The explosion set off a fire which engulfed much of the area.

The main highway linking Mexico City and Veracruz was closed for more than four hours as firefighters brought the blaze under control.

Businesses and homes were evacuated in a radius of 3km (2 miles).

The blast occurred at 18:30 local time (23:30 GMT) at the plant owned by Tomza Gas. Local officials said most of the workers had already finished their shift, keeping the number of casualties relatively low.

Four of the bodies were found soon after the blast. A fifth body was found at dawn in the plant's rubble.

The victims were employees at the gas plant, according to Milenio newspaper.

Tomza sells and install gas tanks and cylinders for household, commercial and industrial use.

There have been a series of gas-related accidents in Mexico. More than 20 people were killed when a lorry carrying gas tanks exploded on a highway on the outskirts of Mexico City in May.

And in September 2012, 26 people died in a fire at a gas plant owned by the state oil company Pemex in the city of Reynosa.