Health and pollution concerns continue to grow months after the Pemex gas explosion in Mexico
Residents in rural Veracruz are increasingly worried about the?potential impact on health and the environment as large volumes?continue to _burn_.
The Mexican state energy company Pemex operates the well and has stated that the incident began at the Krem-1 exploration well near Las Choapas in early March. Since then, the company has been working to control the fire and permanently seal the well.
A reporter captured footage of the scene by drone this week. The site was surrounded by scorched earth, trees with their leaves stripped off, and animal bones were scattered on the ground.
Marco Palma, his mother Reina Torres and their neighbors, who live nearby said that they were concerned about their health, as well as the harm to the environment and livestock they raised. Since the accident, birds and butterflies have been scarce.
During her morning press conferences she asked the Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum repeatedly about the accident and called upon Pemex and Health Authorities to provide an update and address concerns raised by residents.
Pemex has not responded to requests for additional comments, but it has released several statements that describe?containment measures, environmental monitoring, and community support initiatives. It said that monitored pollutant levels remained within regulatory limits.
Mikhail Zhizhin is a researcher with the Earth Observation Group of the Colorado School of Mines. He estimated that between March 2026 and July 2026, approximately 300'million cubic meters of gas was flared in the well. This amount is equal to almost half of the natural gas consumed by Mexican households between March and July 2026, according to?calculations based on data from Mexico's Energy Ministry.
Zhizhin's estimate was made using VIIRS Nightfire - a satellite system that measures and detects flare ups around the world.
Pemex said that it has not identified any poisoning incidents linked to the incident. However, a company official acknowledged that dozens animals had died. Reporting by Oscar Martinez, Las Choapas; and Stefanie Eschenbacher, Mexico City. Editing by Rod Nickel
(source: Reuters)
