By Kim Tae-jong
A woman in her 60s or 70s was found dead inside a basement septic tank in a housing complex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, police said Wednesday.
She was found Tuesday while cleaners were pumping out the tank, according to police.
They are investigating the circumstances of her death, and are not ruling out the possibility of murder.
Police said her body had been in the tank for up to a year, given its condition. The 3-meter-deep tank was last pumped out a year ago.
“We presume she was alive when she fell into the tank,” a police officer said. “We’re now investigating how she ended up there, considering the possibility of both murder and an accidental fall.”
They are currently trying to discover the identity of the dead woman and are waiting for an autopsy result, which is expected in 15 days.