The Williams Lake First Nations says a preliminary geophysical investigation has identified 93 “reflections” that could indicate the number of children buried around the site of the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School.

Chief Willie Sellars says only excavation would confirm the presence of human remains, adding that much more work is needed to make final determinations.

He says 14 of 470 hectares around the former school have so far been examined as part of a process to discover what happened to children who didn’t return home.

The investigation near Williams Lake comes after the use of ground-penetrating radar led to the discovery last year of what are believed to be 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

– With files from The Canadian Press