A plane with a cargo of millions of South African rand has been impounded in Zimbabwe after a dead body was found on board, state-run media report.

Blood was seen dripping from the South Africa-bound cargo plane during a refuelling stop, the Herald paper said.

Zimbabwe’s Civil Aviation Authority said the matter had been handed over to the police to investigate.

Its chief, David Chawota, said the cargo on the US-owned plane belonged to the South African Reserve Bank.

A senior official at the bank, Pradeep Maharaj, said: “The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is aware of an aircraft carrying a SARB consignment that stopped in Harare and was detained following the discovery of an unidentified body that is presumed to be a stowaway on the aircraft.”

The bank was working with authorities to ensure that the cargo was released and transported to South Africa, he told the BBC.

The plane had been travelling from Germany to South Africa and belonged to Florida-based Western Global Airlines, Zimbabwean officials said.