No. 7 Sydney, Australia
Shown is an aerial view of a beach in Sydney. Reuters

A group of children playing on a Sydney beach accidentally uncovered the body of a baby buried beneath the sand. The discovery was made Sunday morning, and local authorities have launched an investigation into the matter, Agence France-Presse reported.

“A number of children were playing at the southern end of South Beach when they located the body of a baby in the sand,” police said in a statement cited by AFP. “Investigations into the child’s death are continuing, however, the age and sex of the child is yet to be determined.”

According to police Inspector Andrew Holland, the children said they discovered the body while digging around in the sand, uncovering the shallow grave of the baby at a depth of about 30 centimeters, just under one foot. Holland told reporters the baby was a “very small infant child,” but the exact age couldn’t be determined at this time because of decomposition. An autopsy may eventually reveal the cause of death.

The discovery came after news of an abandoned newborn who was found just last week at the bottom of a roadside drain in Sydney. In that case, the baby’s mother is being charged with attempted murder.