A gun attack during a religious celebration in central Mexico has left 11 people dead and at least 20 others injured in violence-plagued Guanajuato state, local officials have confirmed.

The shooting erupted Tuesday night in the city of Irapuato, authorities said on Wednesday, during festivities marking the Nativity of John the Baptist. Witnesses described terrible scenes of panic and chaos as partygoers fled the gunfire.

“It was chaos. People put the wounded into their cars and rushed to hospital to try to save them,” one witness told the news agency AFP, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns.

Footage shared online shows the moment gunfire rang out as people danced and celebrated. Screams can be heard as the crowd scattered in panic.

Bloodstains and bullet holes were still visible at the scene on Wednesday morning. Among the dead were a 17-year-old, eight men, and two women, according to the Guanajuato state prosecutor’s office.

In a statement, Irapuato’s local government called the attack a “cowardly act” and said security forces are hunting those responsible. Psychological support is being offered to affected families.

President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the attack as “deplorable” and said an investigation had been launched. At her daily news conference, Sheinbaum referred to the shooting as a “confrontation”, without elaborating on details.

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Guanajuato Governor Libia Dennise also denounced the attack, offering condolences to the victims’ families and pledging justice.

While Guanajuato is known for its industrial growth and colonial-era tourism hubs, it has notoriously become renowned as Mexico’s most violent state in recent years.

Authorities blame much of the bloodshed on an ongoing turf war between the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the powerful Jalisco New Generation cartel.

Government figures show Guanajuato recorded more than 3,000 homicides last year — the highest in the country.

Since Mexico launched its so-called war on drugs in 2006, more than 480,000 people have been killed in criminal violence, with more than 120,000 listed as missing.