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Mexico City –  The death toll from the pipeline explosion caused by fuel theft over the weekend in central Mexico has risen to 28, with 52 people injured and some 5,000 others evacuated from their homes.

The blast occurred at pumping station No. 7 in San Martin Texmelucan, a city in the central state of Puebla, around 5:50 a.m. on Sunday.

The thieves lost control of the fuel extraction process from the pipeline belonging to state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, and set off the powerful blast, the Puebla state Government Secretariat said.

Ten children were among those killed in the explosion, which leveled nearby houses, officials said.

Many of the bodies were completely burned, but officials said the majority of the victims had been identified.

Five of the 52 injured people are in serious condition, officials said.

The majority of the injured are being treated at hospitals in Tlaxcala state, while those in the most serious condition were taken to a hospital in Puebla.

The army activated its emergency plan and deployed more than 100 troops in the area to provide security and cordon off the blast site.

Some 5,000 people were evacuated from the area and officials opened a temporary shelter at a stadium.

The blast and fire completely destroyed 32 houses and damaged 83 others, and a bridge near the pipeline was rendered unusable.

President Felipe Calderon visited the blast site Sunday afternoon to get a firsthand look at the damage and offer his support to the victims.

"I want to express my condolences to the families of the dead over the explosion in Puebla, as well as my solidarity and support to all the people affected," Calderon said in a post on Twitter.

The theft of fuel from Pemex pipelines, known in Mexico as "milking," is common, with both individuals and organized crime groups involved in the illegal activity.

San Martin Texmelucan is on the border between Puebla and Tlaxcala, both located next to the Federal District.

The blast scene is about 95 kilometers (59 miles) east of Mexico City and 32 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Puebla, the capital of the like-named state.

San Martin Texmelucan and the 11 towns within its city limits had a population of 121,000 in the 2000 census.

The city is in the shadow of the Popocatepetl volcano, which is active, and the dormant Iztaccihuatl volcano.