Missing Swedish journalist Kim Wall died aboard inventor's home-made submarine, court hears

Accused Peter Madsen changes story and admits burying reporter at sea after initially telling authorities she had been successfully dropped off in Copenhagen

Swedish journalist Kim Wall (AP)

A Danish inventor charged with killing a journalist in his home-made submarine has told a court she did die in the vessel, police said, changing his earlier statement the he dropped her off alive in Copenhagen.

Peter Madsen told the court that Swedish journalist Kim Wall had died in an accident and he had buried her at sea in the Bay of Koge, south of the city, police said in a statement.

Madsen is charged with the manslaughter of Wall who has been missing since he took her out to sea in his 17-metre submarine on 10 August. He denies the charge.

A Swedish Sea Rescue Society unit searches for missing Swedish journalist Kim Wall at Lundakra Bay between Barseback and Landskrona (TT News Agency/Reuters)

He was rescued a day later after his UC3 Nautilus sank. Police found nobody else in the wreck.

Danish and Swedish maritime authorities are using divers, sonar and helicopters in the continued search for the body in Koge Bay and in the Oresund Strait between the two countries.

Madsen, an entrepreneur, artist, submarine builder and aerospace engineer, went before a judge on Saturday for preliminary questioning. The case is not open to the public for the sake of further investigation, the police have said.

Reuters