Authorities believe missing Irish teen lost in jungle around resort
Tuesday, 06 Aug 20196:34 PM MYT
By SARBAN SINGH
image: https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/08/06/197094.jpg
SEREMBAN: Malaysian authorities believe that an Irish teenager who went missing from a resort in Pantai here during the weekend is lost in the dense jungle around the property.
State police chief DCP Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusop said the search-and-rescue teams would re-comb a 25-acre area near the resort for missing 15-year-old Nora Anne Quoirin.
"We went through a 12-acre area near the resort again this morning and will cover the rest till at night.
"We will focus our efforts along a stream running near the resort because we believe she would surely go towards the stream to drink, " he told reporters at the Pantai police station on Tuesday (Aug 6).
Nora Anne had checked into the property with her parents, Sebastian Marie Philipe and Meabh Jaseprine Quoirin, and younger siblings Innes Julia and Maurice Arthure, early on Saturday (Aug 3).
However, she was not found in the room she shared with her siblings the following morning.
A window in the room, which could only be opened from the inside, was ajar.
The girl, who is of French-Irish parentage, has learning difficulties.
It is learnt that the family had planned a two-week stay at the resort.
Apart from the police, others involved in the operation are personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence, Rela, as well as the Orang Asli from the Senoi Praaq unit, the local Orang Asli community and villagers.
A helicopter from the Police Air Wing unit has been deployed to search for the girl.
DCP Mohamad said police still considered this a missing person case.
"We have nothing that suggests there was criminal element in her disappearance. As of now, we have not an ounce of evidence to suggest she was abducted, " he said.
Asked on reports that Nora Anne was in her undergarments when she disappeared, he said this was based on a statement from her parents.
"We don't know what she was in when she went missing, " he said.
Asked if the canine unit had picked up any clues, DCP Mohamad said there hadn't been any.
"They only picked up a scent some 100m from the resort.
"They lost the trail after that, " he said.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/08/06/authorities-believe-missing-irish-teen-lost-in-jungle-around-resort#shsVImIAw89rf02W.99
