Mexico City, Aug 1 (IANS): Gunmen killed eight people and wounded two others early Wednesday in Bacalar, a town in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, state prosecutors said.

The victims were travelling in an SUV with tags from Yucatan state when they were stopped by the gunmen and shot, the Quintana Roo Attorney General's Office said.

The two wounded people were transported to a hospital in Bacalar, where security has been tightened by authorities, the Efe news reported.

The emergency call centre received the first call about the shooting at 7 a.m., the AG's office said.

The shooting occurred on a road between the town of Limones and the city of Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

The area is close to the intersection outside the Chacchoben archaeological site, located barely one kilometer (0.62 miles) outside Limones, a town within the city limits of Bacalar, which is popular with tourists.

In Quintana Roo, according to official reports, at least five gangs have been fighting for control of drug sales, focusing mainly on Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

The rise in violence in the resort cities, where shootouts and gangland hits have occurred, has driven tourists away.