An autopsy has been conducted on the body of a woman discovered in the debris of a demolished house in Changsha, Hunan province.

Reports say a dispute had arisen between the owners and a demolition crew.

The police received a report about the death in Chazishan village on Thursday morning.

The autopsy began on Thursday night as authorities sought identify the dead woman and establish the cause of death, a spokesperson for the Changsha government said on Friday.

Beijing News quoted a man called Yang Quan, who claimed to be the son of the deceased woman, who he identified as 60-year-old Gong Xuehui.

Yang said his mother went missing after their house was demolished on June 16, and that her body was found on Thursday by the driver of excavator he had hired to clear the debris.

Yang said hundreds of people barged into his home on June 16 and attempted to drag family members, including Gong, outside.

He said members of the family had been locked in a car until their home had been leveled. In the aftermath, Yang was unable to find his mother.

The family had failed to reach an agreement on compensation with the authority in charge of demolition, the report said.