By NORTH AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT MICHAEL VINCENT.
Mexican authorities have confirmed that a burnt-out van with two bodies in it did belong to the two missing West Australian surfers.
Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman had travelled from Canada across the United States to Mexico where they had been surfing.
They went missing on November 20 and their burnt-out van with camping supplies and a bicycle was found the next day in a rural area of Sinaloa state.
Mexican media are reporting the men were last seen in a convenience store buying a map although that has not been confirmed by investigators.
An official from Sinaloa’s local prosecutor’s office has previously said the bodies were too charred to identify.
The ABC understands relatives of the 33-year-old men are on their way to Mexico to confirm using DNA tests and dental records if the bodies found in the van are the Australians.
The families of the two men earlier said they were aware the van had been found and that a “tragic event” had occurred, but still did not know exactly what had happened.
“The families hold deep fears for the safety of their sons but stress that they are still waiting for details to be confirmed,” the families said in a statement released by DFAT on Sunday.
Sinaloa is known as one of the most dangerous and violent places in Mexico, home to powerful gangs and drug cartels.
The US State Department has advised people not to travel outside of one major city, and says travelling on anything other than major toll roads is especially dangerous.
This post originally appeared on ABC Online.
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