T-shirt discovery fuels concerns Crocodile allegedly killed 12-year-old in Australia

dpa

4.7.2024 - 06:01

A child has been missing for days in the remote north of Australia. The police are looking for a crocodile that is said to have attacked the girl. Now there is a lead.

4.7.2024 - 06:01

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  • During the search for a child missing in northern Australia, emergency services have found a T-shirt belonging to the twelve-year-old.
  • Authorities believe the girl was attacked by a crocodile.
  • Meanwhile, the search continues in a remote region of the Northern Territory.

During the search for a missing child in northern Australia, the emergency services have found a T-shirt belonging to the twelve-year-old. The authorities assume that the girl was attacked by a crocodile. The item of clothing was found upstream from where the child was last seen on Tuesday, the Australian broadcaster ABC reported, citing the police.

Meanwhile, the search continues in a remote region of the Northern Territory. Officers are working around the Mango Creek watercourse with boats and a helicopter. Police Minister Brent Potter had previously stated that there was probably no hope of finding the girl alive and that it was now possible to speak of a rescue mission. The family and friends of the missing child are "completely desperate", said police spokeswoman Erica Gibson.

According to the ABC report, the family were vacationing in the area near the Aboriginal community of Nganmarriyanga and were in the water when the child suddenly disappeared. A crocodile is said to have been spotted in the immediate vicinity.

Salties and freshies

According to government figures, there are over 100,000 saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory - more than in any other state in Australia. The animals, also known as "salties", are considered to be extremely aggressive. There are also freshwater crocodiles ("freshies") in the area, but they are less dangerous.

On average, there are two fatal crocodile attacks per year throughout the country. As recently as June, members of an Aboriginal community in the region shot and collectively ate a "problem crocodile" that had previously repeatedly approached animals and people.

dpa