Nora Quoirin: Body found in Malaysian jungle during search for missing teen

Q Radio news

A body found in Malaysia is "likely" to be that of missing 15-year-old Nora Quoirin, the Lucie Blackman Trust said.

The London teenager disappeared from the Malaysian jungle resort of Dusun on Sunday August 4.

The trust, which is handling media for the Quoirin family, confirmed a body had been found in the search for the teenager.

"At this time we cannot confirm it is Nora. However it sadly seems likely. Investigations are under way to confirm identity and cause of death," the charity said.

Malaysian police confirmed that rescuers had found the body of a Caucasian female in the forest surrounding a nature resort where Nora was reported missing.

A BBC journalist reported that the body was found 2km (just over a mile) away from the Dusun resort, has white skin and is female.

Simon Coveney, Ireland's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, tweeted: "Irish + French embassies in Malaysia working together to provide every assistance to the Quoirin family. Irish embassy is in touch with Malaysian authorities on today's discovery of a body. At this harrowing time all of our thoughts + prayers are with the family."

Nora's mother made a heartfelt appeal on Monday to find her as a £10,000 reward was offered for information leading to her safe return.

Her parents, Meabh and Sebastien Quoirin, a French-Irish couple who have lived in London for 20 years, thanked those looking for her as fundraising pages set up by the teenager's aunt and uncle collected more than £100,000 from well-wishers.

Voluntary hikers and even reportedly a shaman were among those to have joined the search for Nora, who was born with the brain defect holoprosencephaly and has special needs.

Appearing before cameras on Monday, a visibly emotional Ms Quoirin said: "Nora is our first child.

"She has been vulnerable since the day she was born.

"She is so precious to us and our hearts are breaking."

Police leading the investigation have refused to rule out a "criminal element" in the teenager's disappearance.