Australian police are searching for a 12-year-old child who was reportedly attacked by a crocodile while swimming.

The alert was raised on Tuesday evening in Palumpa, a remote Northern Territory town about seven hours drive from Darwin.

Police said the child was last seen swimming in a creek and that “initial reports stated the child had been attacked by a crocodile”.

A search involving officers and locals has been launched, with local media reporting the focus has now shifted to recovering a body.

Northern Territory police minister Brent Potter spoke to NT News about the search.

“They do amazing work,” he told the newspaper. “These officers are also divers, and they do go into croc-infested waters as required.

“It’s probably safe to say we’re in the recovery stage.”

“It’s a tragic incident for any parent or family member to lose a young child, and especially in the circumstances like that taken by a crocodile,” he also told reporters.

The NT News added the unnamed child went missing at about 5.30pm local time on Tuesday, shortly after she was swimming in Mango Creek

“Local officers are on scene and our thoughts are with the family and the community,” said senior sergeant Erica Gibson.

“Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek via boat and we thank the community for their ongoing assistance.”

Read more from Sky News:
Jay Slater’s mother releases new statement
Hurricane Beryl heads for Jamaica

There are more than 100,000 crocodiles – some as big as 6m (20ft) – in the Northern Territory, an area more than six times the size of the UK.

Fatal attacks on humans are relatively rare, however.