Bar shooting in southeastern Mexico leaves several dead, many injured

At least six people were killed and 10 wounded in an armed attack at a bar in the city of Villahermosa, in the southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco, local authorities have said.

"Armed persons" entered the bar "looking for a specific person" and the shots hit those nearby, state deputy prosecutor Gilberto Melquiades said at a press conference on Sunday, adding that an investigation was ongoing.

At least five people were found dead at the scene, a venue known as "DBar," while another died after being taken to hospital, the official said.

Five of the wounded had been identified, he added.

Increase in violence

The shooting occurred two weeks after a similar attack in the city of Queretaro, a region of central Mexico that until now had been spared from violence linked to organised crime.

That attack left 10 dead and seven wounded.

Federal Public Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said on Sunday that the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum "is in coordination" with local authorities to clarify what happened in Tabasco.

The southeastern state, home to oil production facilities, has seen an increase in violence in recent months.

Between January and October of this year, there were 715 murders in Tabasco, compared to 253 in all of 2023, according to official statistics.