An explosion at a factory producing Jose Cuervo tequila in Mexico killed five people on Tuesday, local authorities reported.
“So far, the deaths of five people are confirmed, workers of the company,” the civil protection unit in the western state of Jalisco said in a statement. Two others were injured, one seriously, the statement added.
The cause of the blast in Tequila municipality is not yet known, but the company stated it occurred during maintenance work.
The explosion impacted four containers, each with a capacity of 219,000 litres, two of which collapsed, said Victor Hugo Roldan, state director of civil protection.
“The Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences is already here to do their expert report,” Roldan told journalists. Footage from a municipal security camera shows one of the containers flying meters into the air after the explosion, which ignited a fire that was brought under control hours later.
The incident occurred at around 4:30 pm (2230 GMT) at the distillery, known as La Rojena. Fifty firefighters attended the scene, along with the firm’s internal civil protection team, authorities said.
Residents near the factory were temporarily evacuated and returned to their homes after a few hours. The electricity supply was briefly cut as a safety measure.
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