Hundreds of embalmed bodies found at Mexican crematorium

Police in northern Mexico have uncovered 381 embalmed bodies at a private crematorium in Ciudad Juarez, many of which had been improperly stored for up to two years, according to press reports Monday.

Instead of being cremated, the corpses were piled indiscriminately across various rooms in the facility, Eloy Garcia, a spokesperson for the Chihuahua state prosecutor's office, told The Guardian.

"Preliminarily, we have 381 bodies that were deposited irregularly in the crematorium, which were not cremated," Garcia said. "Instead of ashes, relatives were given 'other material'."

Authorities initially responded to reports of 60 bodies at the site, but the number rose sharply as the investigation continued. Garcia blamed the incident on "carelessness and irresponsibility" by the crematorium's operators.

"You can't take in more than you can process," he said. "Every such business is aware of its daily cremation capacity."

One of the crematorium's administrators has surrendered to police, though authorities have yet to determine whether any of the deceased were victims of criminal violence.

Mexico has long struggled with overburdened forensic systems, exacerbated by high homicide rates, staff shortages, and budget constraints.