Tequila factory explosion kills at least 6 in Mexico
MEXICO CITY - An explosion at a tequila factory in Mexico has killed at least six people and injured two workers.
The blast happened Tuesday at the Jose Cuervo company, one of Mexico's most famous tequila brands.
The local civil defense posted on X that the latest body was found in a waste area where large containers had collapsed.
The company on Tuesday said the explosion occurred as employees were carrying out maintenance work. Authorities on Tuesday night said the situation was under control, but on Wednesday morning a fire broke out in a storage area with cardboard and other materials.
Aerial view showing firefighters trying to extinguish a fire on July 24, 2024, a day after an explosion occurred during maintenance works at the Jose Cuervo tequila factory in the Tequila municipality, Jalisco State, Mexico. (Photo by ULISES RUIZ/AFP
The town of Tequila is about 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of Mexico City. Overlooked by a volcano and surrounded by plantations of agave, the plant from which the liquor is produced, life in the municipality of 40,000 residents revolves around tequila production and the tourism it generates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.