Believers say they witnessed a “miracle” after the statue of Mary “cried.”

Churchgoers were stunned to see a statue of the Virgin Mary apparently shedding tears in what they described as a “miracle.”

The tiny figure was filmed ‘crying’ by visitors to a church in El Chanal, Colima, Mexico.

Hundreds of people reportedly came to the church to witness the crying.

Videos uploaded to social media appear to show small drops of water coming from the statue’s eyes and running down his face.

Resident Víctor Ramos said: “When we cry and our eyes turn red, the same thing happens to the statue.”

“There were a few tears. This is the event, the phenomenon that is happening here in the church.”

Many have linked the ‘tears’ to the ongoing violence in Colima state.

Víctor added: “We can link it to… the level of violence experienced here in the state of Colima and also here in the community.”

As of October this year, approximately 702 confirmed intentional killings had been registered by the Colima Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Visitor Maria Mercedes Hernandez said she would pray for safety: “Peace, may she give us peace in Colima and around the world so that we can return to the Colima of the past.”

However, others are skeptical of the ‘miracle’ and offer scientific explanations for what happened.

Professor Luigi Garlaschelli explained that some statues have the ability to absorb water due to the porosity of the materials from which they are made.

He said: “You need a hollow statue made of plaster or ceramic, which should be covered on the outside with a waterproof layer.”

“By filling the statue with water through an imperceptible hole at the top, the porous material absorbs it, but the outer layer prevents it from escaping.”

“However, if a small scratch occurs in the protective enamel near the tear ducts, the absorbed water flows through as if it were tears.”

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