Fears are growing for a 12-year-old British girl who vanished on a family holiday to Japan. Carmelita Lakdesha Paul disappeared while on a sightseeing trip after her parents woke up to discover she was no longer at their accommodation. They raised the alarm at the Tokyo apartment where they were staying on August 12 after finding her gone.
Belongings left behind
Carmelita's phone and passport were left behind in the room, with her parents having no way of getting in touch with her. She is believed to have been carrying only a few thousand yen, worth around £65. She is described as being five feet three inches and a medium build with curly black hair.
Last seen on CCTV
Footage analysed by investigators shows the schoolgirl dressed in a blue sleeveless top, black and white skirt, black pumps and carrying a pink handbag. She was captured on shop CCTV walking in the Nichome section of Kamata, close to where the family were staying, later that morning.
Police said she then boarded a train at Kamata station and travelled 20 minutes south to Yokohama Station. No-one has been able to trace her movements since.
Last conversation with parents
The youngster was reported missing to police at 9.30am on August 13, when her parents woke to find her gone. Carmelita's father says he had spoken to her before she went to bed the night before. He told police there was nothing at all suspicious about her behaviour. It is unclear what time she left their apartment.
Severe rainstorm concern
Japan has been swept by a wave of severe rainstorms in the past few days, heightening the family's fears over the need for proper shelter. The girl has little money - not enough for an extended hotel or hostel stay. At least eight people have died after "unprecedented" rainfall caused flooding, with nearly 7,000 people left stranded at Tokyo's Narita airport and evacuation orders issued for more than 400,000 people. Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued the highest level-5 warning for heavy rain and landslides.
What the authorities say
Police are now urging anyone with information that could help find the schoolgirl to contact Tokyo Metropolitan Police's Kamata Station. A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesman said: "We are supporting the family of a British child who has been reported missing in Japan and are in contact with the local authorities."
