Search continues for London girl missing in Malaysia
Hundreds of people are involved in looking for Nora Quoirin, who was born with the brain defect holoprosencephaly.
The search for London girl Nora Quoirin, 15, is continuing, one week after she disappeared from a Malaysian jungle resort.
Hundreds of people are involved in looking for the teenager, who was born with the brain defect holoprosencephaly and has special needs.
Nora’s mother Meabh thanked the searchers. “You have given up your time especially at a special festival time,” she said, referring to Hari Raya Haji, the Islamic “festival of sacrifice” celebrations.
Negeri Sembilan police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusop said some of those involved in the search had attended Hari Raya Haji prayers on Sunday morning at a nearby mosque.
“However, this will not hamper the search,” he said.
A total of 317 search and rescue personnel were deployed on Saturday, with the search continuing through the night.
“So far, we have no credible leads on where she is but we will continue with the search. We are accepting information from all parties and our investigation is exploring all angles,” Mr Mohamad told reporters at the site.
Mr Mohamad said there was no evidence to indicate that Nora had been abducted, the local Star publication reported.
“We are very worried about her safety. We don’t know how long she can survive. The team is working diligently day and night to find her as soon as possible,” he said.
The police have checked the background of people in the area for criminal records.
“We have also questioned several people as well as checked the homes of hotel staff. There is also no evidence that anyone has sighted Nora Anne anywhere,” he said.
Ms Quoirin and her husband Sebastien, a French-Irish couple who have lived in London for 20 years, said “terima kasih”, or “thank you” in Malay, to those searching for her.
In a short speech, Ms Quoirin held back tears, as her husband stood beside her.
In a video broadcast on local media, she said: “We want to say thank you to each and every one of you. We know you’re searching night and day for Nora.
“We see you working so hard and also praying with us and being with us.”
Ms Quoirin praised the dedication and expertise shown by those looking for Nora.
“To be with us here, it means the world to us. We are so grateful for everything that you are doing for us, everyone who is helping here and not from here.
“We are extremely impressed by the effort, your expertise, your dedication and we hope you find Nora.
“And thank you so much and terima kasih,” she said.
Nora, who has an Irish passport, went missing last Sunday.
The family have said they remain hopeful after police leading the investigation refused to rule out a “criminal element”.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lucie Blackman Trust intelligence on ops@lbtrust.org or +44 800 098 8485.
