5 miners found dead in Mexico after kidnapping

KABUL (Pajhwok): Five of the ten workers kidnapped last month from a mine in Mexico have died, and their bodies have been recovered, media reports said.

Reuters cited Mexican authorities, who stated that ten bodies were found during the search for the miners abducted from a silver mine operated by Canada’s Vizsla Silver Corp (VZLA.TO) in Mexico’s northern Sinaloa state. The attorney general’s office confirmed the discovery on Monday.

According to a statement from the attorney general’s office, the bodies were located in the municipality of Concordia. Of the ten, five have been positively identified so far, while forensic teams continue working to identify the remaining five.

The workers were kidnapped in late January from the silver mine, located in an area reportedly under the control of the Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the sons of former drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

Earlier on Monday, Mexico’s mining chamber confirmed the deaths of three of the kidnapped miners. Vizsla Silver, based in Vancouver, said it remained focused on the safe recovery of those still missing and on providing support to the affected families.

“We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of life,” CEO Michael Konnert said.

Over the weekend, the Mexican government deployed more than 1,000 troops, including elite marines, to the area in an effort to locate the missing miners. Authorities have also arrested four suspects in connection with the case.

sa