A refugee from Australia’s offshore processing centre on Manus Island has drowned.

Refugees on the island said the man was Pakistani Kamil Hussain.

They said he went missing at around 4:00pm on August 2 at a waterfall, near the main town of Lorengau, on Manus Island.

The waterfall where Kamil Hussain went missing. Photo: ABC – supplied

Local people and police conducted a search and the man’s body was found two hours later.

“They found him after two hours of heavy searching by local Manusians and police,” refugee Aziz Adam said.

“There were many people there.”

The Australian Department of Immigration said he had drowned.

“The Department is aware of a tragic drowning that has occurred on Manus Island involving a male refugee,” a spokesman said.

“Australian Government representatives remain in close contact with the Royal PNG Constabulary, which is managing the situation.”

There are about 900 men on Manus Island detained under Australia’s offshore processing agreement with Papua New Guinea.

Those found to be refugees were encouraged to leave detention and live in a transit centre closer to the main town.

But all men on the island under the processing arrangement have been allowed to leave the detention centre and move freely around the island since April, when Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court ruled the detention of asylum seekers was illegal.