Ten dead in Mexico tanker blast after theft attempt

The death toll from a tanker truck explosion in Mexico rose to 10 on Monday, days after it blew up as a group of people tried to steal its fuel.

After the truck hit some trees in the southern state of Tabasco last Thursday, local people near the town of Huimanguillo tried to take its contents despite warnings from authorities to leave the area.

The explosion killed two people on the spot while the rest died in local hospitals. An official in the Tabasco state prosecutor`s office said a tenth person had died, up from nine on Sunday.

Three children between the ages of 13 and 14 are among the dead. At least 21 people were injured in the accident.

Drug gangs have been known to tap pipelines across the country, stealing $1 billion worth of fuel last year.