OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have launched an investigation after a fetus was found in a river in Nishiyodogawa Ward on Tuesday, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Mar. 13).
At around 1:10 p.m., a male worker engaged in levee protection work reported to police the discovery of the body in the Samondo River in the Tsukuda area.
Police arriving at the river found the fetus, whose umbilical cord was still attached, floating at the water’s surface. The body, measuring 25 centimeters long, did not exhibit any external wounds.
Due to the fetus having been in an early stage of development, its gender is not known. The fetus is believed to have been abandoned following an abortion, the Nishiyodogawa Police Station said.
The cause of death of the newborn is under investigation, police said.