MEXICO CITY, July 23 (Reuters) - An explosion at a Jose

Cuervo tequila plant in central Mexico killed at least five

company workers and forced the evacuation of 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 chief of emergency services and

firefighters 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.

In a statement, the company confirmed the death toll from

the accident at its Rojeña plant, adding that several other

workers were injured.

The explosion in one tank triggered a fire in three others,

according to a statement from emergency services released later

on Tuesday. The cause of the blast remains unknown.

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.