Blast at Mexico tequila factory kills five

TEQUILA

An explosion at a factory producing Jose Cuervo tequila in Mexico killed five people on July 23, local authorities said.

"So far the deaths of five people are confirmed, workers of the company," the civil protection unit in the western state of Jalisco said in a statement.

Two others were injured, one seriously, the statement added.

It was not yet known what caused the blast in Tequila municipality, with the company saying it happened during maintenance work.

It impacted four containers with a capacity of 219,000 liters each, two of which collapsed, said Victor Hugo Roldan, state director of civil protection.

"The Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences is already here to do their expert report," he told journalists.

Footage from a municipal security camera shows one of the containers flying meters into the air after the explosion, which caused a fire that was brought under control hours later.

The incident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. at the distillery, known as La Rojena.

Fifty firefighters attended the scene, in addition to the firm's internal civil protection team, the authorities said.

Those living near the factory were evacuated temporarily, returning to their homes after a few hours, while the electricity supply was briefly cut as a safety measure.