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5 people killed at explosion at Jose Cuervo distillery

Aerial view showing damages at the Jose Cuervo tequila factory on July 24, 2024, a day after an explosion occurred during maintenance works at the facility in the Tequila municipality, Jalisco State, Mexico. The explosion at the factory producing Jose Cuervo tequila killed at least five people on July 23, local authorities said. (Ulises Ruiz/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS)
By Joseph Wilkinson New York Daily News

Five people were killed and at least two others injured in an explosion at a Jose Cuervo distillery Tuesday in Mexico, authorities said.

An explosion in a 50,000-gallon tank sent the massive structure soaring into the air, CNN reported. The blast sparked a fire and ignited similar blasts in three other tanks, authorities said.

The cause of the initial explosion remains unclear, but it reportedly occurred during maintenance work. The blast occurred at Cuervo’s famous La Rojeña factory in the town of Tequila, according to CBS News. La Rojeña is one of the oldest still-operating tequila distilleries in the world.

All five deceased victims worked for Jose Cuervo and its affiliated companies, authorities told CBS News. The several wounded victims were also employees.

At least 40 firefighter squads responded to the explosion and subsequent blaze, according to CNN. Tequila Mayor Alfonso Magallanes urged residents to stay away from the site. Several residents were briefly evacuated from their homes, CBS News reported. Additionally, electricity was cut off for a short period of time out of an abundance of caution.

The town of Tequila and La Rojeña distillery are major tourist attractions, and the small city of 45,000 people sees an estimated 1 million visitors every year. The spirit tequila gets its name from the city about 35 miles northwest of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco.

Jalisco is the largest producer of blue agave, the key ingredient in tequila. The state generates about 75% of Mexico’s annual crop. Jose Cuervo first started producing tequila at La Rojeña in 1795 under the supervision of José María Guadalupe de Cuervo, the son of a Spanish colonizer.