Missing child - Search for missing 13-year-old girl in the Eifel region
The police searched for a 13-year-old girl in the Eifel region for over eight hours - without success. The girl had gone missing in the north rhine-westphalian town of Mechernich (district of Euskirchen) on Monday. According to police reports, a helicopter and several tracking dogs were used in the search.
It is possible that the girl is in a helpless situation, a spokesperson said. The child speaks broken German and is not familiar with the surroundings. She had no mobile phone with her.
The girl had told her parents on Monday morning that she was going to school - but the school was closed due to report conferences. Witnesses saw her get on a bus at the Mechernich bus station and walk towards school on foot. She did not return home.
"Since the dogs have searched around the school, we have also searched the school again - without success", said a police spokesperson. At the time of her disappearance, the girl was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers. She had a bandage on her left hand. Witnesses are asked to contact the police.
On Wednesday, the focus was on searching the area on both sides of the approximately six kilometer long school road along the L61 highway. After almost nine hours, the operation was close to ending in the evening. "We need to reassess whether we will continue the search operation on Thursday", the spokesperson said. The police have released images of the girl.
- The search for the missing girl expanded beyond the school area, covering the surrounding villages in North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically Euskirchen and Mechernich.
- Despite the involvement of a helicopter and tracking dogs, the harsh terrain of the Eifel region presented challenges in locating the 13-year-old girl.
- In case the girl encounters any emergencies, it is crucial for local residents and commuters using the L61 highway between Mechernich and Eifel to keep an eye out and report any sightings to the police.
- Due to the extensive search in the Eifel region and along the L61 highway, several children in the area have been temporarily evacuated from school as a precautionary measure.
