Authorities in western Mexico have found at least 45 bags containing human remains in a gorge on the outskirts of Guadalajara as forensic experts work to identify how many bodies are among the remains.
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.
The bags were recovered from a 40-metre-deep ravine in an area with difficult access, the state prosecutors said.
Firefighters and civil defence worked with a helicopter to recover remains from the gorge and planned to continue during the coming days.
Authorities had been looking for seven young call centre workers who had been reported missing last week when they found the site, but it was still unknown if they were among the remains found.
Local media reported that the call centre workers were part of a "fraudulent" network that targeted older US citizens with fake vacation and time share deals.
The state prosecutor's office said it investigated the site after receiving a report of possible body parts there.
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.
ABC/AP
