Shocking discovery at Mexican crematorium reveals 381 abandoned bodies

Mexican police have discovered almost 400 neglected corpses ‘thrown indiscriminately’ inside a derelict private crematorium.

WARNING: Graphic images

Mexican authorities have uncovered a horrific scene of neglect at a private crematorium, with more than 380 corpses found abandoned and stacked carelessly throughout the facility.

The grim discovery was made on Sunday local time at a crematorium in Ciudad Juarez, northern Mexico, located just 16 kilometres south of El Paso, Texas.

“Preliminarily, we have 381 bodies that were deposited irregularly in the crematorium, which were not cremated,” Eloy Garcia, communications coordinator of the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office, told AFP.

Mexican authorities discovered 381 abandoned corpses stacked carelessly throughout a private crematorium in Ciudad Juarez, with some bodies lying there for up to two years. Picture: Herika Martinez / AFP

Garcia described the disturbing scene inside the facility, where bodies were found scattered across multiple rooms, reportedly without any systematic organisation.

He claimed the corpses were “stacked” randomly throughout various rooms, adding that the bodies were largely “just thrown like that, indiscriminately, one on top of the other, on the floor.”

All the bodies however had been properly embalmed as if prepared for funeral services or long-distance transport.

Authorities believe some corpses had been lying in the crematorium for up to two years.

Families seeking their loved ones’ ashes were allegedly given “other material” instead, though authorities have not specified what those substitute items were.

Families seeking loved ones’ ashes were allegedly given substitute materials instead, as the facility’s owners underestimated their cremation capacity and failed to process the backlog properly. Picture: ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CHIHUAHUA STATE / AFP

Garcia attributed the shocking negligence to the crematorium owners’ poor planning and “carelessness and irresponsibility,” alleging they had underestimated their “daily cremation capacity.”

“You can’t take in more than you can process,” Garcia said.

Several crematorium staff members fled the scene before the raid, while one voluntarily surrendered to prosecutors.

The discovery highlights Mexico’s ongoing struggle with overwhelmed forensic services, hampered by high body counts, staff shortages, and budget constraints.

The discovery highlights Mexico’s overwhelmed forensic services struggling with high body counts from organised crime violence. Picture: Herika Martinez / AFP

Much of Mexico’s forensic backlog reportedly stems from violence perpetrated by organised criminal groups terrorising various states.

On Sunday, 20 men were found dead in Sinaloa state, including five who were decapitated and four who were hanged from a highway bridge.

Earlier in March, nine students visiting Oaxaca were found dismembered alongside ten pairs of hands, believed to be victims of gang violence.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the crematorium bodies were linked to criminal activity.

– with AFP