A body has been recovered from the La Mata canal in Torrevieja after being discovered at around 3pm on Monday. The incident has shocked residents and people who were in the area at the time.

According to initial reports, a Local Police officer entered the water in an attempt to retrieve the body. However, the officer found it was in an advanced state of decomposition, requiring additional precautions during the recovery operation. The area was cordoned off while emergency services worked at the scene.

Officers from the Guardia Civil have taken charge of the investigation and are carrying out inquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the death. Although there has been no official confirmation of the victim’s identity, early hypotheses suggest the deceased may have been a migrant of sub-Saharan origin.

Investigators believe the body may have remained in the sea for several days before currents carried it into the canal. A post-mortem examination is expected to determine the exact cause of death and how long the person had been in the water.