Mexico City
Authorities removed at least 21 bodies from a mass grave in southern Mexico on Sunday and worked to determine if they were students who went missing after a clash with police late last month.
The state government of Guerrero announced the discovery of the grave Saturday that contained an undisclosed number of bodies but officials disclosed that at least nine of the bodies were badly damaged.
There is speculation that the bodies are those of at least some of the 43 missing students from a teaching college who clashed with police Sept. 26 during a protest in the city of Iguala, about 120 south of Mexico City. Originally, 57 students were reported missing but 14 were later found.
“Analysis of the evidence and bodies will last at least 15 days,” said Lazaro Mazon, Secretary of Health Care in Guerrero. “This work will confirm whether or not the bodies are of the missing students.”
Local government issued a statement Sunday indicating that 30 people have been arrested in connection to the events of Sept. 26, including 22 city police officers and the city’s Secretary of Public Security, Felipe Flores. Mayor Jose Abarca is also missing and considered a fugitive.
The Party of the Democratic Revolution decided Saturday to oust Abarca, a party member, and asked the federal government to punish those responsible for the crimes.
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