THE naked body of an unidentified person was discovered near the Umhlangane River on Saturday afternoon.

Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesperson, Prem Balram, said the decomposing body was embedded in the banks of the river in Avoca.

“We were called out to the area at 13:49 after a scrap collector approached a passerby and informed him of the discovery. On arrival, the scrap collector led our members more than 500 meters through dense vegetation until they reached the location of the body which was in a prone position and partially exposed along the river bank,” he said.

Balram added the sex and race of the deceased could not be confirmed due to the extent of the decomposition.

The SAPS Search & Rescue Unit were called out to recover the body.

It is unclear whether the body is related to the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal in which 435 people died.