Police received an emergency call at 1.45am on Sunday morning and arrived at an apartment in the northern Swedish town just before 2am, together with an ambulance.

When police arrived at the scene they found the woman who had been badly beaten and had sustained serious injuries. The woman, who police confirm was in her twenties, later died of her injuries at Gällivare Hospital.

Also in the apartment was a man who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter at around 4am on Sunday.

“We have cordoned off the crime scene and will now conduct a forensic examination. The man has been interviewed but I can’t say anything about what we have learned,” said Mikael Norén at Norrbotten police.

It is not yet clear if the man and the woman were acquainted.