Relatives of victims and survivors of natural gas explosions set up a Day of the Dead altar in front of the French Embassy in Mexico to honor those who lost their lives, allegedly due to leaks in the underground distribution network of ENGIE, a French-owned company.

Thalía, who in 2023 suffered burns on 70 percent of her body due to an explosion at her home in Matamoros caused by a gas leak in the company’s pipelines, is among the victims. At least four young people have died and five others have been injured in different states across the country following explosions allegedly linked to natural gas leaks operated by ENGIE under various trade names, such as Tamauligas, Tractebel, and Energía Mayakán.

Among the most severe cases are the explosion at a 7-Eleven in Matamoros in January 2022, where two young people died; the domestic accident in June 2023 that left Thalía, now 26, with burns on 70 percent of her body; and recent explosions in Querétaro and Tampico between 2024 and 2025, where two more people lost their lives.
The families called on the French government and President Emmanuel Macron to establish an ethics committee to oversee the company’s actions in Mexico, ensure full reparations for the victims, and guarantee non-repetition.

The BHRC requested the company to comment on the allegations, and Engie did respond.