Mexican authorities find 59 bodies in hidden grave

Gulf Today Report

Mexican authorities uncovered the remains of at least 59 people in a hidden grave in the central state of Guanajuato, the prosecutor's office confirmed on Wednesday.

"The vast majority of the bodies, in which there is still some tissue or other sign, would appear to be young people, very young, possibly even teenagers," said Karla Quintana, the head of Mexico's National Search Commission (CNB).

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According to Quintana the mass grave had been found in the Barrio de San Juan neighbourhood in the city of Salvatierra, in the southern part of the state. Pending expert confirmation, between 10 and 15 women are among the victims, Quintana added.

People decorate a relative’s grave prior to the Day of the Dead at the Municipal Pantheon in Mexico. AFP

Investigators uncovered evidence that crimes "related to the disappearance of people" had been committed on the property, the prosecutor's statement said.

According to the search's state commissioner Hector Diazm, a team of more than 80 people examined the area in 18-hour daily shifts, and 52 excavations were carried out that eventually led to the discovery of the bodies.

In July, investigators had finished work on a grave in the neighbouring municipality of Tlaquepaque, where they had uncovered 86 bags containing human remains.

Authorities recommenced work on a burial site in Tlajomulco, also located on the edge of Guadalajara, after excavation was suspended due to the coronavirus. Last January, they had uncovered 500 bags containing the human remains of an estimated 48 people.

Authorities suspected the victims were executed elsewhere, as no spent cartridges were found near the bodies.

Mexico has been hit by a wave of violence since the government deployed the military to fight the drug cartels in 2006.