Coatzacoalcos (Mexico) (AFP)

At least 23 people were killed and 13 wounded in the likely criminal fire of a bar in the city of Coatzacoalcos, in the Mexican state of Veracruz (east), said the prosecutor's office on Wednesday.

Eight women are among the victims, the prosecutor said, adding that an investigation had been opened by the prosecutor's office in Veracruz, one of the regions most affected by drug-related violence.

According to local media reports, the fire broke out when attackers broke into the bar and threw molotov cocktails.

The families of the employees quickly arrived on the spot to try to have news. "What I want to know is if he's fine," said the mother of a young man in charge of cleaning the bar's bathroom, returned to the scene after going to three hospitals in search of his son.

The state of Veracruz is one of the most violent regions in the country, due to its location on the Gulf of Mexico, which places it on one of the main drug export routes to the United States. There are also many kidnappings, including migrants.

© 2019 AFP