At least six workers' lives were lost following an explosion and fire at a Casa Cuervo distillery. Per CNN, the tragedy occurred in Mexico in the town of Tequila, Jalisco. "The incident involved the explosion of a tank car," said a representative from Jalisco's civil protection agency. Additionally, a subsequent fire "ignited three additional tank cars, each with a capacity of 219,000 liters."
As of now, the cause of the explosion has yet to be identified. There's a video circulating online of the explosion from a distance, showing one of the containers flying through the air.
Explosión en la planta de fabricación de José Cuervo en Tequila, Jalsco.
Hasta el momento y de forma extraoficial se habla dedos personas que habrían perdido la vida y al menos otras 5 con lesiones. pic.twitter.com/GoA7QIcJtu— Monica Garza (@monicagarzag) July 24, 2024
Casa Cuervo, in a statement, said it was assisting authorities in the ongoing investigation. There was also a promise to reinforce security controls at its facilities. The civil protection agency stated that a fire broke out at the factory in a storage area full of cardboard and other materials. However, that fire was quickly contained with no additional risks reported.
Employees were doing routine maintenance work at the time of the explosion. In addition to the six deaths, two more were injured.
A Tequila Factory Blows Up, Taking The Lives Of Six Workers
Many local publications and journalists on X (formerly known as Twitter) tried to make sense of the tragedy. "Deadly explosion in José Cuervo. At least 5 workers lost their lives and 2 were injured in a strong explosion at a tequila plant in Tequila, Jalisco. Occurring on July 23, it was caused by a boiler explosion that caused a fire and detonation of containers," one outlet reports, citing a boiler explosion as a potential cause.
"At the José Cuervo Tequila company in the municipal capital of Tequila Jalisco, an explosion occurred when two of the stills overheated, exploded and one flew two blocks away, causing the death of at least five people and injuries to another eight," another publication states. While the cause may not yet be confirmed, the six workers who lost their lives are woefully accounted for. Hopefully, the families and friends of the deceased are given the tools to grieve as needed and persevere going forward.
When we at Wide Open Country learn more, we'll be sure to keep our readership informed.
