At least 3 killed, 6 wounded in explosion in Mexican state of Michoacan

An explosion outside a local police station in the western Mexican state of Michoacan killed at least three people and wounded six Saturday, local and federal security officials said.

MEXICO CITY — An explosion outside a local police station in the western Mexican state of Michoacan killed at least three people and wounded six Saturday, local and federal security officials said.

The explosion came as the federal government has stepped up security activities in the state, sending in additional troops after two recent high-profile assassinations.

The Attorney General's office said in a statement that a vehicle exploded on a central avenue in Coahuayana. "The driver died at the scene, while two other people died in the regional hospital, and six others were injured," it said.

The two people who died in the hospital were community police officers, said Hector Zepeda, commander of the Coahuayana community police. He said the remains of some of the victims were found scattered in the area of the explosion, which also damaged nearby buildings.

"With this operation [from the federal government], a lot of marines came," Zepeda said. "We stopped doing patrols because the operation is going on."