MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – An explosion at a Jose Cuervo tequila plant in central Mexico killed at least two people and forced the evacuation of workers and tourists from the area in the spirit’s hometown of Tequila, the head of the state’s emergency services said on Tuesday.
Victor Hugo Roldan, the head of emergency services in Jalisco state, told Reuters the blast occurred in a 500,000-litre tank at the plant, and the resulting fire was put out by company personnel.
At least two other tanks at the facility, operated by the world’s largest tequila maker Becle, also collapsed, he said.
At least five people are so far still missing, according to an emergency services official who declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
A photo of the aftermath of the explosion released by emergency services showed a large metal tank emblazoned with the Cuervo logo collapsed on its side.
The town of Tequila, home to several distilleries of the agave spirit, is a popular tourist destination about an hour’s drive northwest of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city.
(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by David Alire Garcia; editing by Miral Fahmy)
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