Mexican officials have said that they have found the bodies of at least 55 people at disused silver mine which police believe to be a dumping ground for drug gangs.

Video news 55 bodies found in Mexico silver mine as drug war continues

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Police also fear that more bodies may be found in the mine located in Western Mexico as many areas in have still yet to be explored.

Police were tipped off by a suspect linked with organized crime about the silver mine which is believed to be used by drug gangs as a dumping spot for people who they have killed.

Police first searched the site on May 29 where 20 bodies were found down an air vent used by the silver mine, some heavily decomposed and some which were dumped in the mine recently.

Mexican authorities have said that officer’s abseiled down the Concha mine in Taxaco, in a quiet town.

As of Saturday, Mexican authorities have said that 55 bodies were found which were dumped into the mine in different periods of time though officials do not know exactly when the mine was started to be used as a dumping ground.

All the victims in the mine are thought to be killed to drug related incidents though no official has yet commented on the matter.

Some of the bodies had gun wounds to the head while many were stabbed.

One of the bodies found in the mine was that of a prison warden who had recently been reported kidnapped.

The head of emergency services in the Guerrero state, Carlos Amezcua said: “The smell was intolerable” after he went down the 150-metre mine to help with recovery works.

Mexican police have also confirmed that at least 15 people have been detained for questioning related to the incident.

The latest finding has once again shown the effects of drug crime in Mexico just weeks after the mayor of Cancun, Gregorio Sanchez was charged with drug trafficking ties.

Sanchez was arrested in one of Mexico’s most important tourist resort, where it is said that he helped protect members of two of Mexico’s most violent drug gangs including the Zeta drug gang and lived a lavish life style which was out of his means.

Sanchez’s arrest has been seen as proof of the ever growing power of drug gangs and the drug cartels move towards Mexican politics. Some believe that politicians are using drug cartels as tools to get more votes ahead of the mayoral elections in ten states in Mexico on 7 July.

Since President Felipe Calderon crackdown on Mexico’s drug gangs, after being elected into office in December 2006, an estimated 23,000 have died due to drug-related violence.

The report which was given to members of congress in April had said that 22,743 people had lost their lives since December 2006.

2009 was the worst year since the crackdown started with a total of 9,635 deaths related to drug violence was recorded.

The first three months of 2010 saw 3,365 deaths related to drug crime and is on the way for another very bad year regarding drug related violence for Mexico.

However, government officials have said that the vast majority of the deaths were either gang members or security officials.

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