A newborn baby girl was found dead on Sunday afternoon by a passer-by at a landfill site in Wimmis, central Switzerland. 

The man alerted police who were able to determine quickly that the body was that of a newborn girl and that she had likely been dead for some time.

The origin and identity of the child are unclear, as are the details surrounding her death. In particular, it is not yet know whether she was born dead or alive.

Examinations at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Bern suggest that the baby had been dead for several days and possibly even weeks before she was found.

However, police have said that they think the body was placed at the site more recently because they believe workers would otherwise have found her earlier, online news website 20 Minutes reported.

No personal effects or other items that could help trace the mother were left with the body. The police have described the infant as being fair-skinned and probably of European origin.

Police are urgently requesting members of the baby’s family to contact them on +41 79 297 74 99 and are also asking for any witnesses who saw anyone moving around that area at the weekend, or anyone who knew of a woman who was pregnant but had no child after the birth, to come forward.