Explosion and fire hit tequila factory in Mexico, killing at least 5 workers, officials say

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An explosion and fire erupted inside a tequila factory Tuesday, killing at least five workers and injuring two others at the site in the liquor's namesake town in Jalisco state, Mexican authorities said.

The state Civil Protection agency announced late Tuesday on the social media platform X that five people were confirmed dead and two people were injured, one of them in serious condition.

All the dead and injured worked at the factory, the agency said.

Emergency services evacuated the area around the site as a precaution, but officials said residents were allowed to return to their homes late Tuesday.

Víctor Hugo Roldán, the state Civil Protection director, said two of the factory's 219,000-liter (57,850-gallon) tequila vats ruptured and authorities were working to ensure no alcohol spilled into the municipal drainage network.

He said experts were investigating to determine what caused the explosion.

The official said the fire was under control by nightfall, but emergency teams were still working at the scene.

The town of Tequila is about 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of Mexico City, sitting between the Pacific coast and Guadalajara, the country's second biggest city.

Overlooked by a volcano and surrounded by plantations of agave, the plant from which the liquor is produced, life in the entire municipality of 40,000 residents revolves around tequila production and the tourism that it generates.