At least eight people died in an attack that took place the day before Saturday in a city in the central Mexican state of Morelos, near the capital, local authorities announced yesterday Sunday.

An exchange of fire broke out inside a commercial store in the municipality of Huitzilac, a short distance from a highway that connects the capital with the tourist town of Cuernavaca. Four people were found dead at the scene. Four other injured people, who were taken to a hospital, succumbed to their injuries from Saturday night to Sunday morning, the Morelos prosecutor’s office clarified.

The bodies of the eight victims “have been handed over to the forensic service” and “investigations are continuing,” he added.

Huitzilac Mayor Rafael Vargas condemned the attack and called for help from the state and federal government on social media.

Morelos administratively includes cities with a warm climate, which are the destination of many vacationers, especially residents of the Mexican capital.

However, Morelos also neighbors the state of Guerrero, where rival drug cartels operate, and is often hit by the ongoing wave of violence sweeping the country.

In November, a battle between police and alleged thugs left nine people dead in Cuernavaca.

Cartel-related violence has claimed the lives of some 450,000 people, and more than 100,000 have disappeared and are listed as missing since 2006, when the then-government declared a controversial “war on drugs”.