[Ammi]

A Dutchman has been detained after a 24-year-old British woman was found murdered on a houseboat in Indian-administered Kashmir, police have confirmed.

The woman had allegedly been stabbed to death on a houseboat on Srinagar's Dal Lake, a popular tourist destination.

Kashmir Inspector General of Police Abdul Ghani Mir said the man was picked up as he tried to flee the valley with only his passport.

He said: "A 24-year-old British national was found murdered in a local houseboat this morning. A Dutch national, De Wit Richard, has been detained for investigations in this connection.

"While preliminary investigation has confirmed that the woman was murdered, we are investigating other angles. Forensic evidence is being collected.

"The Dutch national had fled from the houseboat in the night, leaving behind his belongings. He was trying to flee from the Valley, carrying only his passport. We flashed an alert for his arrest."

The man was held at Qazigund in south Kashmir's Anantag district, around 100km (62miles) from the lake where the woman's body was found.

Speaking near the murder scene, Deputy Inspector General of Police for central Kashmir Syed Afadul Mujtiba said: "There is one houseboat over here in which there were two tourists living.

"One tourist was there for about one month. She has been living here, an English tourist, and a Dutch tourist arrived two days ago, and now today in the morning the dead body of the female tourist has been found with incision wounds, sharp-edged weapon wounds, and the Dutch tourist has tried to escape.

"It appears that he has murdered this female tourist."

Sky's India correspondent Alex Rossi said: "Police say preliminary investigations have confirmed that this woman was murdered, but they are investigating other angles.

"Forensic evidence is being collected and the Dutch national is being questioned."

The Foreign Office says it is in touch with local authorities and the victim's family have been informed