Bethelsdorp - Police in the Eastern Cape are attempting to trace the next of kin of an unidentified woman whose body was found lying in a lake on Thursday.

It was alleged that at about 09:15 a pastor went to his usual praying ground by a lake behind the West End swimming pool in Bethelsdorp, and when conducting his morning prayers, he noticed something in the water between the reeds.

According to police spokesperson Khaya Tojeni, the pastor initially thought it was a cardboard box but on closer inspection, he discovered that it was the body of a naked woman whose hands and feet were bound with cable ties.

"A towel was wrapped around her head. There were rings on her wedding finger," Tonjeni said and mentioned that no other visible injuries could be noted.

Tonjeni also explained that a post mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of death as well as the race and age of the victim.