A man, originally from Moldova and living with his family in Italy, was found dead in Ponte San Nicolo, in the province of Padova in the Venice region. His relatives notified the police, who subsequently launched an extensive search in the region, IPN reports.

The 48-year-old Moldovan left his home on Thursday morning and did not return. His family reported him missing and the Carabinieri have launched a search operation, Padova Oggi reports.

Since Friday morning, teams of rescuers, assisted by a helicopter, have scoured the Bacchiglione river area and the surrounding area. Relatives have been working closely with the authorities and Carabinieri, hoping that the man will be found alive. Around 2pm on Friday, the Moldovan man was found dead in a building a short distance from his home.

After preliminary investigations, the authorities said that the man had resorted to an extreme act of suicide.