10 dead in shootout at Mexico cockfight: Official

Acapulco(Mexico): At least 10 people were killed and seven others wounded in southern Mexico when a shootout erupted during a cockfight event, a senior police official said on Monday.

A 12-year-old child was among those killed in yesterday's gunfight in Cuajinicuilapa, a town in the troubled state of Guerrero, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The cause of the gun battle was not immediately known but it broke out between two groups of armed men following an argument during the cockfight held at the center of town, the official said.

The wounded were taken to a general hospital, "while some of the dead were taken away by their relatives minutes before security forces arrived," the official said.

Apart from the minor, the victims were between 26 and 50 years old and included a woman.

Cuajinicuilapa, which lies near the state of Oaxaca, is known for its mixture of culture derived from descendants of African slaves.