Mass grave with at least 31 bodies found in northern Mexico

A mass grave has been found in northern Mexico, authorities said Tuesday, as a rights group indicated it could contain 31,000 bone fragments corresponding to at least 31 bodies. The pit was discovered on a ranch in the town of Salinas Victoria, some 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the industrial hub of Monterrey, said a spokeswoman for the Nuevo Leon state prosecutor’s office, Priscila Rivas.

The ranch was found through statements by detained criminals, information from victims and investigations by the prosecutor’s office.

Priscila Rivas told AFP.

The spokeswoman declined to say how many pieces of bones were unearthed or how many bodies they could represent. But Consuelo Morales, who heads the Citizens Supporting Human Rights (CADHAC), said authorities told her organization that 31,000 bone fragments were found since the grave was detected earlier this year. Authorities have cordoned off the ranch as they continue to search for remains, objects or pieces of clothing that could help identify the victims. Mexican drug cartels often dump the bodies of their victims in mass graves. In 2013, for instance, 64 bodies were unearthed between the western states of Jalisco and Michoacan.

The genetic profiles of 31 people have already been identified. It’s what the prosecutor’s office told us.

Consuelo Morales.

World