OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have launched a murder investigation after discovering the strangled body of a woman aboard a barge in Taisho Ward last week, reports TV Asahi (July 18).
On July 15, the unidentified woman was found bleeding and collapsed on a flat-bottomed barge under the Namihaya Bridge in Taisho Ward. She was subsequently confirmed dead.
According to police, the victim is believed to be between her 40s and 60s. An autopsy revealed that she died of asphyxiation at around midnight on the day of the discovery after being strangled with a cord-like object. Investigators also noted signs of facial congestion consistent with strangulation.
Detectives are currently investigating the possibility that the assailant murdered the woman at another location before tossing her corpse off the bridge onto the barge below.
Police are now working to identify the victim and track down the perpetrator.
