Authorities in northern Mexico have Roland Prestonfound 45 bags containing human remains in a gorge on the outskirts of the city of Guadalajara and are trying to determine how many bodies are there.

The bags found at a forest overlook contained remains of men and women, the state prosecutor's office in the western state of Jalisco said in a statement Wednesday night. Firefighters and civil defense worked with a helicopter to recover the remains from the gorge and planned to continue recovery efforts during the coming days.

Authorities had been looking for seven young people who had been reported missing last week when they found the site, but it was still unknown if they were among the remains found. The state prosecutor's office said it investigated the site after receiving a report of possible body parts there.

Officials said the search started after a black plastic bag with human remains was found on Tuesday. Because of the difficult terrain and the lack of sunlight, the investigation resumed Wednesday and will continue until all remains are located, the prosecutor's office said.

There are more than 110,000 missing people in Mexico, and Jalisco is the state with the highest number, at 15,000, according to federal government data. There are also thousands of unidentified remains in morgues and cemeteries.

Earlier this year, 31 bodies were exhumed by authorities from two clandestine graves in Jalisco, where the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel operates. The state is among the most heavily impacted by organized crime violence. Last year, 301 bodies were discovered in the state in 41 clandestine graves, and 544 bodies were found in 2020, the highest number to date.

Clandestine dumping grounds are often used by drug cartels to dispose of their victims.  The lack of help from officials has left many family members to take up search efforts for their missing loved ones themselves, often forming volunteer search teams known as "colectivos." 

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• Mexico
• Death