Sydney:

Australian police said on Thursday it had located the remains believed to be that of a missing 12-year-old child reportedly attacked by a crocodile in the country’s north.

The child was reported missing on Tuesday evening after swimming in a creek near Palumpa, a remote town of around 350 people seven hours by road from Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory.

“This is devastating news for the family, the community and everyone involved in the search,” Northern Territory police Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said in a statement.

There are more than 100,000 crocodiles in the Northern Territory, which has a land area more than six times the size of Britain, though fatal attacks are relatively rare. It can grow up to 6 metres (20 ft) long.

The child and family had visited the creek for holidays, and it was reported that a black crocodile was seen in the immediate area, police told ABC Radio.

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