Explosion and fire at Jose Cuervo tequila factory kill five, Mexican officials say

At least five workers have died in an explosion and fire at a tequila factory in Mexico, local authorities said.

At least five workers have died in an explosion and fire at a tequila factory in Mexico, local authorities said. Two others were injured in the disaster, at a Casa Cuervo distillery in the town of Tequila, Jalisco state. Casa Cuervo is the world’s largest producer of the Mexican spirit, according to its website, encompassing the Jose Cuervo and Tequila 1800 brands, among others. “The incident involved the explosion of a tank car,” Jalisco’s civil protection agency said, adding that the fire ignited three additional tank cars, each with a capacity of 219,000 liters. The cause of the fire is not yet known, authorities said. At least 40 firefighting and civil protection teams responded to the incident. In a statement, Casa Cuervo said it was assisting authorities with their investigation and would reinforce security controls at its facilities. The mayor of Tequila, Alfonso Magallanes, shared a post on his Facebook page urging residents not to approach the factory due to the ongoing situation.