A tequila factory explosion rocked Jalisco state on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of at least five workers and injuring two others, according to Mexican authorities.
The state Civil Protection agency announced on the social media platform X late Tuesday that five fatalities were confirmed, with two additional workers injured, one of them in critical condition.
All victims were employed at the factory, the agency confirmed. As a precaution, emergency services evacuated the surrounding area. However, officials allowed residents to return to their homes by late Tuesday.
Víctor Hugo Roldán, the state Civil Protection director, reported that two of the factory’s 219,000-liter (57,850-gallon) tequila vats ruptured. Authorities are ensuring that no alcohol spilled into the municipal drainage system.
Experts are investigating the cause of the explosion, Roldán stated. By nightfall, the fire was under control, but emergency teams continued to work at the scene.
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Located about 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of Mexico City, the town of Tequila lies between the Pacific coast and Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city. Dominated by a volcano and surrounded by agave plantations, the town’s economy of 40,000 residents revolves around tequila production and the tourism it attracts.
