The University of the Free State (UFS) has extended its condolences to the family of a third-year student whose body was discovered in Willows, Bloemfontein.

Police spokesperson Col Thabo Covane said on Wednesday that the body was discovered by passers-by in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Covane said the 23-year-old student had no visible injuries.

The student was from Odendaalsrus, in the eastern Free State, and lived in a student house in the Willows area.  

Covane said the police were awaiting postmortem results to determine the cause of death. He said an inquest docket had been opened.

The university said in a statement that it extended its "deepest condolences to the family, UFS student body, and the entire UFS community". 

"The university management regards the safety and security of students – both on and off campus – as of the utmost importance and is working closely with all relevant stakeholders to provide resources to support the safety of students."