Body found in New Zealand caves where teen is missing
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A student went missing at the Abbey Caves near Whangarei on the upper North Island.
PHOTO: ABBEY CAVES/FACEBOOK
WELLINGTON – New Zealand police said on Wednesday they had found a body in the caves where a high school student went missing on a school trip a day earlier.
Local media reported a flash flood had washed through and swept away the teenager.
One student went missing at the Abbey Caves near Whangarei on the upper North Island after a group of 15 high school students and two adults got into difficulty amid a heavy rainstorm. The remaining 16 are accounted for.
The police said in a statement that emergency rescue crew had located and recovered a body late on Tuesday evening, but formal identification has yet to take place.
“We acknowledge this event has been very distressing for the school and wider community, and that there are a number of questions the public will have,” the police said.
The incident happened as heavy rain swept across the upper North Island causing flooding and closing schools and roads.
Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, remains under a state of emergency.
However, Ms Rachel Kelleher from Auckland Emergency Management said at a briefing on Wednesday that most roads were now open and public transport was operating.
Council teams will be out assessing damage to buildings on Wednesday, she added. REUTERS