The bodies of eight people were found in a pit in the El Carbón sector, in the Pucará canton, Azuay province. The discovery was made in an area of difficult access, next to an alleged illegal mine.
The victims are seven men and one woman, and their bodies showed signs of violence, according to preliminary information known this Sunday, August 9, 2026. At least four of the deceased were reportedly residents of the town, where there is illegal mining activity.
The decapitated bodies were found in Azuay
Provincial authorities have not yet presented an official report on the circumstances of the deaths. However, the mayor of Pucará, Adrián Berrezueta, spoke about the case, expressed his solidarity with the victims’ families, and offered collaboration for the burials.
Relatives alerted about the disappearance
The case began to become known on the morning of Saturday, August 8. Relatives of people who allegedly worked in a mine in the El Carbón sector, near the Huasipamba-Mirador hamlet, alerted that they had lost contact with their loved ones.
According to initial reports, communications were interrupted as of Wednesday, August 5. Local authorities relayed the alert to provincial institutions and an operation was organized to enter the area.
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Police, military, and specialized units deployed from the cantonal center to the location. The journey to the mining area can take around two hours due to access conditions.
Two vehicles were found incinerated
The first teams that entered the sector found an incinerated vehicle during the tour. Subsequently, they located another burned vehicle in the vicinity of the mine.
At the site, they also detected an area with apparently disturbed soil. Upon checking that space, the eight bodies were found.
The recovery of the bodies required the mobilization of approximately 120 people, including members of the National Police, Armed Forces, specialized units, and other agencies.
The bodies were transported to the Cuenca forensic center, where the autopsies and corresponding identification procedures will be carried out.
The investigations must establish the identities of all the victims, the causes of their deaths, and determine what happened in the mining area before the discovery.
