A priest has launched an investigation after a Virgin Mary statue appeared to start 'crying tears of blood'.

The small icon of the Virgin of the Mystical Rose, one of the names Catholics use for the Virgin Mary, belongs to a family in Argentina’s Salta province and is still in their home.
The Frías Mendoza family, who live in the city of San José de MetánSan, released the story through a local radio station.

A red liquid can be seen on the statue’s face in the clip.

As news of the phenomena spread, excited residents marched to the town square hoping to get a glimpse of what many believe is a miracle.

Hundreds of Catholics visited the house over several days as the family’s dining room became makeshift shrine for the statue, local media reported .

But priest Julio Raúl Méndez has urged people not to jump to conclusions.

He said an investigation would look for a scientific or natural explanation before considering anything else.