The charred body of a man, decapitated and mutilated, was discovered by a jogger on the side of the road in the La Serreta area of ​​Fontainebleau, Alicante province, Spain.
Altea, the tourist city of Alicante (Getty Images)
A jogger out for a morning jog discovered the gruesome remains – a headless, limbless body – dumped on the side of the road in a quiet corner of the popular tourist town.
The horrific discovery was made at around 7.30am on Monday in the La Serreta neighbourhood of Fontanent in the Spanish coastal city of Alicante. The victim had been decapitated, mutilated and set on fire.
The body was still smoldering when a runner found it, and police believe the victim was male, but the body was too badly decomposed to say for certain it wasn't female.
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An investigation has been launched (Europa Press via Getty Images)
A suitcase containing clothing was also found at the scene, but no traces of a head or limbs were found. An extensive search was launched, including the use of drones, to find evidence of what had happened.
An autopsy will be carried out at the Alicante Institute of Forensic Medicine to determine the cause of death and determine the gender of the victim. Police initially suspect that the murder may have been motivated by karma.
The body, which can only be identified through DNA analysis, was reportedly still smoldering when it was discovered by a jogger.
Police are concerned the killing may have been a drug-related act of retaliation or “karma.” Authorities will now be combing through missing persons records to see if there is a match.
Southern Spain is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world, with its sun-drenched old towns sloping down to the sea and dotted with quaint squares perfect for enjoying a cold beer.
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The horrifying discovery coincides with a bar collapse in another tourist spot in Spain, killing several people.
Several deaths have been reported at the popular Mallorca resort, with police confirming the nationalities of those killed after the first floor terrace of Medusa Beach Club tragically collapsed.
Spanish authorities have confirmed that two German women, aged 20 and 30, and a 33-year-old Spanish woman who worked at the club have sadly died. Authorities also confirmed the death of a 44-year-old Senegalese man in the incident.
The man has been identified locally as Abdoulaye Diop, who worked as a nightclub doorman. Palma de Mallorca Mayor Jaime Martinez suggested to reporters that Thursday's tragedy may have been caused by Terrace being overweight.
Video footage seen by the Mirror shows a massive clean-up operation currently underway, with workers seen clearing away dirt and debris left by the disaster as police begin investigations into what caused the collapse.
