Mexico City, Sep 15 (IANS): At least three people have been shot dead by gunmen dressed as traditional mariachi musicians in a tourist plaza here, the police said.

The armed men opened fire on Friday at a road crossing on the edge of the Plaza Garibaldi, a major tourist attraction packed with mariachi bars, the BBC reported.

The gunmen then fled the scene on motorbikes. TV footage and videos on the social media showed a heavy police presence in the area, with the crime scene cordoned off.

Plaza Garibaldi borders the notorious Tepito district, home to the violent La Union drugs gang. Tepito has suffered a wave of violence over August after the gang's presumed leader, Roberto Moyado Esparza or El Betito was arrested.

The number of killings in the Mexican capital has surged since 2014.

More than 200,000 people have been killed or have disappeared since December 2006, when Mexico's government declared war on organised crime.