An explosion at the Jose Cuervo distillery in Tequila, Mexico, killed five workers and injured two others on July 23, 2024, as firefighters battled the ensuing blaze for hours.

The explosion, triggered during maintenance work at the distillery, involved multiple tank cars and vats, resulting in a massive fire that required the response of at least 40 firefighting and civil protection teams. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, with Casa Cuervo committed to enhancing security controls. The incident has had a significant impact on the town of Tequila, leading to temporary evacuations and a brief electricity outage.

The explosion occurred at around 4:30 p.m. at La Rojena distillery, a Casa Cuervo facility located in the town of Tequila, Jalisco state. This region is internationally recognized for its production of tequila, and Casa Cuervo is one of the most prominent names in the industry.

The incident began with the explosion of a tank car, which ignited three additional tank cars, each with a capacity of 219,000 liters of tequila. The explosion's intensity also affected four tequila vats, each holding approximately 57,850 gallons, causing two of them to collapse. Footage of the explosion shows one of the containers being catapulted into the air by the force of the blast.

According to reports, maintenance work was being conducted at the facility at the time of the explosion. The exact cause of the incident remains unknown, and the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences is conducting a detailed expert report to determine the factors that led to the disaster.

In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, at least fifty firefighters and Casa Cuervo's internal civil protection team worked tirelessly to control the blaze. It took several hours before the fire was finally brought under control, thanks to the coordinated efforts of these emergency teams.

Casa Cuervo has stated that it is actively assisting with the ongoing investigation into the explosion. The company has also committed to reinforcing security measures at its facilities to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The mayor of Tequila, Alfonso Magallanes, implored residents to stay away from the factory while emergency responders worked to manage the situation. Nearby residents were temporarily evacuated as a precaution but were allowed to return to their homes a few hours later once the area was deemed safe.

The explosion and subsequent fire caused a brief interruption to the electricity supply in the area as a safety measure. Power was restored shortly after the fire was brought under control and the area was confirmed to be secure.

The town of Tequila, situated about 375 miles northwest of Mexico City and positioned between the Pacific coast and Guadalajara, is renowned for its rich history and production of tequila. This incident has drawn significant attention due to the global importance of tequila, particularly as the United States remains the largest market for Mexican tequila exports. From 2014 to 2019, U.S. imports of tequila from Mexico surged from $1.1 billion to $4.9 billion.

As the investigation continues, the focus remains on understanding the incident's root causes and ensuring that stringent safety measures are implemented to protect workers and prevent future occurrences. The community and the broader tequila industry are closely monitoring the developments, awaiting further details from the forensic report and company statements.