Authorities in northern Mexico have found 45 bags containing human remains in a gorge on the outskirts of Guadalajara and are trying to determine how many bodies are there.

The bags found at a forest overlook contained remains of men and women, the state prosecutor's office in the western state of Jalisco said in a statement on Wednesday night.

Firefighters and civil defence worked with a helicopter to recover remains from the gorge and planned to continue during the coming days.

Authorities had been looking for seven young people who had been reported missing last week when they found the site, but it was still unknown if they were among the remains found.

Unidentified remains

The state prosecutor’s office said it investigated the site after receiving a report of possible body parts there.

There are more than 110,000 missing people in Mexico, and Jalisco is the state with the highest number, at 15,000, according to federal government data.

There are also thousands of unidentified remains in mortuaries and cemeteries.