THE search for missing Irish teenager Nora Quoirin is now centered on Sungai Berembum, a river flowing 60m from The Dusun resort near Seremban in Negri Sembilan where the girl was last seen by a witness who said he saw the girl swimming naked in the river this morning.

Negeri Sembilan police chief Mohamad Mat Yusof told foreign and local media this evening the parents of teenager had informed police that their daughter went to bed on Saturday night only in her underwear.

Checks later showed none of the 15-year-old’s clothes were missing from her bedroom. Mohamad also affirmed there were no signs of a break-in.

“We are now working on this information. We combed 25 acres of the resort land, twice, but found nothing.

“We now moving down to the river because we believe she will be looking for water to survive.

“So far, there are no evidence to indicate abduction or any criminal elements,” the state police chief said.

Mohamad added that police cannot provide any evidence “mystical elements” were involved in the case, although villagers believe the teenager was taken away by local “spirits”.

“How can I show proof of that?” Mohamad said.

Locals at the Jeram Toi rainforest, where the teenager disappeared, said the area is haunted, although there was also no evidence of this.

“I grew up here and there are many stories about spirits here. It is not impossible, although it sounds crazy,” said Mansor, a 36-year-old villager.

Quoirin arrived in Malaysia with her family on Saturday for a two-week trip.

The family of five, checked into The Dusun Seremban at 7am on Saturday. Police received a missing person’s report at 11am the next day.

The family is still in the resort, which has been turned into an operations centre. No one is allowed in.

Posters of the missing girl have gone viral on social media, with appeals for information on her whereabouts.

The police chief rejected accusations from villagers who said they had been denied the opportunity to assist in the search, saying the police cannot be forcing people to join in the mission.

“We can’t force but we will not stop them. No such thing,” he said.

The rescue mission has entered its third day with 178 personnel, including members of the elite Senoi Praq unit and the K9 unit also roped in. A police helicopter has also been deployed. – August 6, 2019.