Police in Mankweng have opened an inquest after the body of a 22-year-old woman was discovered along the fence of the University of Limpopo campus outside Polokwane on Sunday morning.

Accordaning to Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, the woman was found at about 6am along Sovenga Street after police officers conducting patrols received information about a female lying motionless near the university fence.

Police rushed to the scene and found the woman’s body partially clothed, with her head positioned inside a trench adjacent to the campus fence.

No visible external injuries were found on her body during an initial inspection, according to the South African Police Service in Limpopo.

A bag containing the woman’s identity document and NSFAS card was also found next to her body.

Emergency Medical Services were called to the scene and declared the 22-year-old dead upon arrival.

Police said it is suspected that the woman may have accidentally fallen into the trench, but the exact circumstances surrounding her death have yet to be established.

An inquest docket has been opened as investigators work to determine what happened before the woman’s death.

Mashaba said her identity has not yet been released, as police said her family must first be formally notified.