MEXICO CITY, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Three of 10 mine workers

kidnapped last month from a mine run by Canada's Vizsla Silver

Corp ( VZLA ) in Mexico's northern state of Sinaloa have been

found dead, the country's mining chamber said on Monday.

Ignacio Aurelio Salazar, ‌Jose Angel Hernandez and Jose Manuel

Castaneda were confirmed dead by local authorities, Mexican

mining chamber Camimex said in a ​statement. Camimex called for

an investigation to find who was responsible.

"We ask that the absolute ‍priority remains locating our

coworkers who are still missing alive so ⁠they can return ⁠home

with their families, where they belong," Camimex added.

The group was kidnapped at the end of January from a ‌silver

mine in an area security authorities say is ​under the control of

the Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel led by the sons of

ex-Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Vancouver-based Vizsla Silver ( VZLA ) ⁠said it was focused on the

safe ‍recovery of those ​still missing and supporting the affected

families.

"We are devastated by this outcome and the tragic loss of

life," CEO Michael Konnert said.

Vizsla Silver ( VZLA ) said it will provide ‍further updates as it

receives confirmations from Mexican authorities. Its Panuco mine

has been closed since the kidnapping and company shares were

down nearly 6% in Monday trading.

Mexico's Attorney General's Office did not immediately

respond to a request for comment.

Mexican authorities said on Friday that at least one body found

in a clandestine grave in Concordia - some 45 km (28 ​miles) east

of ‍the Pacific coast city of Mazatlan - matched the description

of one of the missing miners.

Mexico's government sent over 1,000 troops, including elite

marines, to the area over ​the weekend to try to locate the

missing miners. Four suspects were arrested on Thursday over the

case.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a press conference on

Monday that the federal government was in close contact with the

workers' families and the mining company.

"We are looking into everything that could have caused this

situation," she said. "We hope a situation like this will never

happen again."

Relatives from the families of ​four of the kidnapped miners

told Reuters they had not been asked for a ransom, but said

workers had told them the area was dangerous due to local crime

groups.