Bodies of eight Chinese migrants found on beach in Mexico

The bodies of eight Chinese migrants were found on a beach in southern Mexico after the boat they were traveling in capsized, officials said Saturday.

The seven women and a man were aboard a boat operated by a Mexican that left Tapachula in Chiapas state, on the border with Guatemala, on Thursday, the prosecutor's office added.

The shore where the bodies were discovered on Friday in the state of Oaxaca sits along a route frequently used by people trying to reach the United States.

Another migrant survived the ordeal. There was no word on what happened to the Mexican driving the boat.

Thousands of undocumented migrants -- often fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries -- transit through Mexico each year trying to reach the US border. Many are from Central America.

According to official data, migrants apprehended last year while crossing Mexico also included citizens of China, India and Uzbekistan and other countries far from the Americas.

The rising numbers of migrants have overwhelmed Mexican immigration facilities and shelters, while the government has come under increased pressure from the United States to fight the flow as illegal immigration takes center stage in the US presidential election campaign.

(AFP)