South African police said on Monday they would charge a 21-year-old man with six counts of murder after half a dozen bodies, some in an advanced state of decomposition, were found at a block of flats in downtown Johannesburg.

Police were called out after complaints of a foul smell coming from one of the apartments and found the body of a woman, police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili said in a statement.

The dead woman was wearing clothing matching the description of an individual who had been reported missing earlier this month, she said.

Police arrested and questioned a man believed to be the last person to have been seen with the woman.

“(They then) went back to the building, and five more bodies were discovered outside the building where there is a makeshift workshop and rubbish dumpsters,” Muridili said.

Forensics experts are working to identify the bodies and “police are following several leads,” Muridili told AFP.

Witnesses at the scene told authorities some sex workers had recently gone missing in the area, she added.

The suspect has not been named. (AFP via Channels)

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