DNA analysis will be used to identify the body of an elderly woman found in an advanced state of decomposition in a Larnaca apartment, the police announced on Tuesday.

The body has been transferred to the morgue and an autopsy is expected to be conducted.

Authorities found a Czech passport in the apartment, but due to the condition of the remains, investigators cannot confirm whether the body belongs to the woman named in the document, who was born in 1944 and is believed to have lived there.

Police have contacted Interpol and are seeking assistance in locating relatives in the Czech Republic to obtain DNA samples for formal identification.

The body was discovered after authorities entered the apartment with the assistance of the fire service following reports of a strong odour.

Investigations are continuing.