Utility workers discovered a decomposing body inside a manhole in New York City on Tuesday morning, police say.

The startling discovery was made around 3 a.m. by a Verizon utility crew that had been working in the area of Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, according to FOX5NY.

“Upon arrival, officers observed an unidentified adult male, unconscious and unresponsive, whose body was discovered in a state of decomposition,” the New York City Police Department said in a statement. “EMS responded to the location and pronounced the male deceased at the scene.”

The body – which has not been identified yet – is now being checked by a medical examiner.

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It’s not immediately clear how long the body was inside the manhole before it was found.

Police say the investigation of the incident is ongoing.