Austria: Police find submerged body in waters where body parts were found in suitcases

VIENNA – Police divers searching an Austrian lake a day after recovering two suitcases containing parts of a woman’s body found the submerged body of a man in the same waters Monday.

Police official Gerhard Haag said the body was retrieved from the bottom of the Traunsee near the lakeside town of Gmunden close to the location where the suitcases were discovered Sunday.

One hand of the male victim was secured to a weighed-down bag, keeping him submerged, Haag said. He refused to give more information ahead of news conference planned for Tuesday.

Gmunden is about 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Salzburg.

Police earlier said the remains in the suitcases were of a woman aged around 70. They were recovered after a man reported a piece of luggage floating in the lake.

Investigators were working to identify the victims and establish a cause of death. Austrian media said their task was made more difficult because the head of the woman was missing.