Andhra Pradesh Police are investigating the surfacing of seven bodies in a lake in Kadapa district’s Ontimitta on Sunday. No external injuries were found on their bodies, District Superintendent of Police Nagi Reddy told NDTV.

The deceased may have been labourers working for red sanders smugglers, unidentified officials said. Police, however, said they did not have any details about their identity yet. “Since it must be 24 to 48 hours after death, the bodies are bloated and it is very difficult to find out who they are and how they came there and what caused their death,” Nagi told NDTV.

The Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force chief, M Kanta Rao, claimed he was not aware about the bodies found and said his team did not have operations in the area.