A 12-year-old British girl has vanished during a family holiday in Japan after leaving her phone and passport behind. Carmelita Lakdesha Paul travelled to Japan with her parents and older brother on July 21 for a sightseeing trip. Her family last saw her at the Tokyo apartment where they were staying on August 12, but when they woke the following morning she was nowhere to be seen.
Disappearance and initial search
Her father had spoken to her the night before and said there had been nothing suspicious about his daughter's behaviour. The family raised the alarm at around 9.30am on August 13 after realising Carmelita had disappeared. Concern grew when they discovered her mobile phone had been left behind at the private rental, meaning they had no way of getting in touch with her. Carmelita is also understood to have left without her passport and is believed to have been carrying only a few thousand yen – worth less than £70.
CCTV sightings and travel route
Police have been trying to retrace the schoolgirl's movements using CCTV footage. Investigators spotted Carmelita walking through the Nichome area of Kamata, close to where her family had been staying, dressed in a blue sleeveless top, black and white skirt and black pumps, while carrying a pink handbag. Officers believe she later made her way to Kamata station, where she boarded a train and travelled around 20 minutes south to Yokohama Station. But investigators have so far been unable to establish where she went after arriving there.
Welfare concerns and severe weather
The lack of any further sightings, combined with the small amount of money she is believed to have had with her, has heightened concerns for her welfare. Her family fear the cash would not have been enough to pay for an extended stay at a hotel or hostel. Carmelita is described as being around 5ft 3in tall and of medium build, with curly black hair.
The search comes as parts of Japan have been hit by severe weather, with torrential rain causing flooding, landslides, power cuts and widespread disruption. At least eight people have died following record-breaking rainfall, while thousands of travellers were left stranded at Tokyo's Narita airport on Thursday. Chiba, close to Tokyo, recorded more than 100mm of rain in an hour from Thursday afternoon. The extreme conditions have added to concerns over Carmelita's whereabouts as efforts to find her continue.
Police are now working to establish what happened after Carmelita reached Yokohama Station and whether anyone may have seen her since. Authorities have urged anyone with information that could help trace Carmelita to contact Tokyo Metropolitan Police's Kamata Station.
