Philadelphia police are investigating after discovering a body in the city's Graduate Hospital neighborhood while responding to a fire Wednesday night.

During a press conference Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Frank Vanore said that police responded to a fire in the 2200 block of South Street Wednesday around 7 p.m.

While members of the Philadelphia Fire Department were working to extinguish the blaze, Vanore said crews discovered a body in the basement. After the fire was under control, the area was excavated, and a male was found bound inside a shallow grave in the basement. 

Vanore said while the victim hasn't been named yet, the medical examiner's office is working to identify the male and figure out how he died.

The Philadelphia Police Department's Homicide Unit is handling the investigation. Vanore said investigators recovered evidence from the scene.

Fire marshals and the ATF's Arson Task Force are also working on the investigation.