Mass graves unearthed in Mexican city where students went missing

Authorities have found mass graves with the charred remains of up to 20 people in the restive southern Mexican state of Guerrero, at a time when police are scouring the area for nearly four dozen students who went missing after a protest turned violent last week. The remains were found on a hillside on the outskirts of the town of Iguala in six graves, which were still fresh, a local official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Guerrero Attorney General Inaky Blanco told reporters in Iguala on Saturday that the remains would be sent to Mexico’s forensic service to determine whether or not the corpses were those of the missing students.

In the next few hours we will determine the cause of death and the number of bodies.

Spokesman for the Attorney General’s office

Several hundred students protested on Saturday night in front of Guerrero Governor Angel Aguirre’s residence in the state capital of Chilpancingo, expressing anger that some of their classmates may be among the bodies found in the graves. A car was overturned and several petrol bombs were hurled at the residence perimeter, where security outposts were lightly damaged. Twenty-two police officers were arrested in Guerrero on Sunday, accused of killing two students during the clashes last week.

Americas Guerrero