An explosion at a José Cuervo tequila distillery in Jalisco on Tuesday sparked a fire and killed six people, authorities said.

The Jalisco government said Tuesday that the deaths of five workers at the distillery in the municipality of Tequila had been confirmed, while state Civil Protection authorities reported Wednesday that a sixth body had been found.

“This morning while cooling operations and the removal of debris continued … a deceased person was found in a retention pit,” the Jalisco State Civil Protection and Firefighters Unit said on X.

It noted that the death toll from the incident had risen to six. Two other workers were injured, one seriously.

Casa Cuervo, which produces José Cuervo and other tequila and liquor brands, said in a statement that an accident that triggered a fire occurred at its La Rojeña factory at around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The fire was controlled and extinguished “efficiently” and the distillery was evacuated, the company said.

Casa Cuervo said it was cooperating with authorities to investigate the causes of the accident.

Citing first reports, the Jalisco government said that “the incident involved the explosion” of a tank, which sparked a fire in three additional tanks, each of which can hold 219,000 liters of “raw material.”

The government added that the cause of the explosion was unknown. Security camera footage showed the moment the explosion occurred. What appears to be a large tank or still is seen blasting out of the building. Photos showed it lying crumpled on the ground.

Located around 65 kilometers northwest of Guadalajara, the “magical town” of Tequila is recognized as the birthplace of tequila, Mexico’s most famous spirit.

The “Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila” are together a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A “José Cuervo Express” train runs from Guadalajara to Tequila, where tourists can visit the La Rojeña factory — the world’s oldest tequila distillery — and other distilleries.

A second fire breaks out on Wednesday 

The Jalisco government said that another fire occurred on Wednesday morning at the José Cuervo distillery in an area where cardboard and “other supplies” are stored.

The blaze – whose cause was also unclear – began as cooling operations and the removal of debris continued, the government said, adding that that the fire “reached a 200-liter barrel that contained residues of raw material.”

Firefighters and company personnel responded quickly and controlled the blaze without it posing “a major risk in the area,” the government said.

Mexico News Daily