MEXICO CITY, June 2, 2025 (AFP) - A fire at a drug rehabilitation clinic in central Mexico left 12 people dead and several injured, the Guanajuato state prosecutor's office said Sunday.

While the cause was still under investigation, drug cartels who operate in the area have previously attacked such centers as part of their efforts to forcibly recruit patients.

Experts were gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses to establish "the reasons for the tragic incident," a statement said.

In April, gunmen shot up a drug rehab clinic in the troubled Sinaloa state, killing at least nine people.

Officials believe cartels execute patients who refuse to join their ranks.

Criminal violence has claimed around 480,000 lives in Mexico since 2006 and left some 120,000 people missing, according to official figures.