Dozens of bags containing human body parts hauled from remote ravine in search for Mexico's missing persons
2 June 2023, 12:47
Dozens of plastic bags containing human remains have been retrieved from a remote ravine in the search for thousands of people registered missing in Mexico.
Authorities in Guadalajara informed the families of seven missing people that remains found in 45 bags exhibited characteristics associated with their relatives.
The bags, retrieved from the bottom of the 131-feet-deep gorge in the desolate outskirts of Guadalajara, formed part of an extensive police operation.
Authorities had been looking for the missing individuals - who worked in a local call centre - since May 20.
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Firefighters and helicopters were drafted in as part of the recovery operation, with bags carried away form the scene on stretchers on Tuesday morning.
According to the Jalisco state prosecutor's office, the recovery of remains in the gorge is an ongoing operation as authorities continue identification attempts.
The bags, which were found at a forest overlook, contained the remains of both men and women, the state prosecutor's office confirmed on Wednesday night.
Earlier this year, 31 bodies were exhumed by local authorities from two grave sites in Jalisco - an area in which the New Generation Cartel operates.
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According to local media, the call centre workers were part of a "fraudulent" network that targeted elderly US citizens with fake holiday and time share offers.
The families of the victims, however, claim their missing relatives are being unjustifiably criminalised.
Jalisco, a state in the west of Mexico, has the highest number of missing people of anywhere in the country, with 15,000 still unaccounted for according to official data.
110,000 people remain unaccounted for across Mexico.
