Mexican authorities in the state of Sinaloa have found 10 bodies during a search for workers who were kidnapped last month from a mine operated by a Canadian company, the state attorney general's office said.
The prosecutor's office said in a statement that 10 bodies were found in the municipality of Konkordija, five of which have been identified so far.
Forensic teams are working to identify the remaining five bodies.
Relatives of the abductees told Reuters that authorities had not yet provided them with any information about the possible identities of the bodies, which have yet to be identified.
Family members are scheduled to meet with local authorities today.
However, a relative of one of the workers said they were afraid of going to Sinaloa, where violence is widespread due to drug cartel conflicts.
The group was kidnapped in late January from a silver mine in an area that security services say is controlled by the Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the sons of former drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
The Chamber of Mines has called for an investigation to determine who is responsible.
The Vancouver-based Vizsla Silver company previously said it was focused on safely locating those still missing and providing support to affected families.
Vizsla Silver said it would release additional information as soon as it received confirmation from Mexican authorities. The company has kept its Panuko mine closed since the kidnapping, and its shares fell 12,4 percent on the market.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment after authorities identified the five bodies.
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