Mexico City, Feb 7, (RHC-Telesur), – The Guerrero State Attorney General’s office officially confirmed that 60 bodies were found late Thursday evening in an abandoned crematorium in the Llano Largo neighborhood of the Mexican beach resort city of Acapulco.

In a Friday afternoon press conference, state authorities declared that the bodies of men, women and minors recovered were “perfectly embalmed” for cremation.

Neighbors alerted authorities on Thursday, claiming that a strong foul odor was present in and around the facilities of the “Pacific Cremations” business, which was reportedly abandoned and closed for nearly a year. The registered owner, Guillermo Estua Zardain, is being sought by the authorities for questioning.

Early reports indicated that many of the bodies were in a state of decomposition, and several were in a mummified state. It has yet to be determined if the individuals were victims of violence or foul play.

Although local authorities are leading the investigation, Mexico’s National Security Commissioner, Monte Alejandro Rubido, said to the Mexican media network Universal after a press conference, that the case of the crematorium is likely that of “fraud”, that the owners simulated cremations and stored the bodies of the deceased.

The city of Acapulco, like the state of Guerrero, has been the site of high levels of violence and homicides in recent years due to turf-wars by competing organized crime groups. Analysts also blame weak or even corrupted local government.

The state and city have been the center of widespread social discontent since September after the 43 Ayotzinapa students were attacked and forcibly disappeared by a combination of local police and organized crime.