The body of a 21-year-old Kazakh citizen has been discovered on the coast of the Italian town of Briatico, in the province of Vibo Valentia.

The body was found among coastal rocks on the morning of June 9, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazakh media.

Rescuers initially mistook the victim for a woman due to his long hair. Italian police believe the student had been dead for approximately 15 hours before his body was recovered from the water.

Authorities reported no gunshot or stab wounds on the body, noting only injuries consistent with impact against rocks. Police suspect that the cause of death was drowning. A smartphone was found in the victim’s pocket, while emergency services also discovered a bag containing his belongings on nearby rocks.

Qumash.kz, citing a friend of the deceased, reported that the student was named Nurdaulet. He had graduated from the Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS) in Oral (Uralsk) and was a third-year student at Unicas University in Cassino. His relatives believe the incident was accidental.

Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry confirmed the student’s death, stating that the embassy is working with Italian authorities and providing assistance to the family.