A murder investigation has been launched into the death of a 24-year-old woman following a single-motorcycle crash this past weekend.

Police had previously revealed that the accident took place near Dharumavantha Hospital in the Maafannu ward of capital Male' City on Friday night, after the driver of a speeding motorcycle lost control of the vehicle.

The woman, who was in the passenger seat, died on Sunday morning while receiving treatment at hospital.

While police had disclosed that the driver, a 24-year-old male, did not have the license to operate the vehicle, the murder probe was launched over this.

Some local media outlets have reported that the two were a couple, and that the man denies speeding at the time of the accident.