Prosecutor's Office says that the shooting near Cancun was between "drug dealers" 4:44
(CNN) -
A hotel near Cancun in Mexico, popular with American tourists, was thrown into chaos on Thursday amid reports of gunfire.
According to local authorities, a clash between drug traffickers ended in an incident of lethal violence on a nearby beach.
"There was a confrontation between members of antagonistic groups of drug dealers on a beach in Bahía Petempich, Puerto Morelos. Two of them lost their lives there," the Quintana Roo State Attorney's Office tweeted.
No other serious injuries have been reported, he said.
In another tweet, the State Secretariat of Public Security of Quintana Roo said that there are no seriously injured tourists, or kidnapped.
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Two people died during the confrontation between members of "antagonistic groups of drug dealers" in Puerto Morelos, according to the Quintana Roo Prosecutor's Office.
(Credit: CNN) →
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The Secretary of Security said that there are no tourists seriously injured or kidnapped.
(Credit: CNN)
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Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun hotel staff told guests to seek shelter when reports emerged that armed men entered the hotel.
(Photo courtesy of @MikeSington)
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Expert services workers photographed outside the Hyatt Ziva Riviera hotel in Puerto Morelos, after the shooting that took place on November 4, 2021. (Credit: Elizabeth Ruiz / AFP / Getty Images)
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Soldiers, photographed here outside the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Hotel, also arrived in the area (Credit: Elizabeth Ruiz / AFP / Getty Images)
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The hotel is popular with American tourists.
(Photo courtesy of @MikeSington)
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Tourists and policemen were also seen waiting outside the hotel.
(Credit: Elizabeth Ruiz / AFP / Getty Images)
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Petempich Bay is about a 42 km drive south of the Cancun hotel zone.
(Credit: CNN)
Horror moments near Cancun
Puerto Morelos is a popular tourist area on the east coast of Mexico, about 25 km (about 15 miles) south of Cancun.
Several guests at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun told CNN that they had been told to shelter in place for fear of a threat to the hotel.
One of the witnesses said they had heard multiple gunshots while in the pool area and were briefly taken into hiding by staff.
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"I was by the pool when multiple shots were fired in succession. It went on for a while and everyone went into hiding," the guest said.
"We took care of the entrances to the basement and they gave us metal poles, even a pedestal sink for the bathroom, to defend ourselves," added the guest.
Hotel guests are hiding in an empty room after a hotel near the resort of Cancun, Mexico, was shot at on Thursday in this photo taken from social media.
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The Hyatt hotel company said local staff are working with law enforcement.
"The safety and well-being of guests and colleagues is always a top priority. We are aware of a developing situation at Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun. We understand that the hotel team immediately contacted the local authorities who are on site investigating the situation, "a Hyatt spokesman said Thursday.
The US Embassy in Mexico City also said it was "aware of the reports and the consulate in Merida is investigating the incident," a spokesperson told CNN.
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