Body of 4-year-old Shanghai resident found in Ningbo

The body of the 4-year-old girl who went missing at a beach in southeast Shanghai on Oct 4 was discovered in Zhejiang's Ningbo, according to a statement released by Shanghai police on Thursday.

Ningbo police said they had notified their Shanghai counterparts on Wednesday morning that a body found on a sandbank in Zhenhai district matched the clothing and physical characteristics of the missing girl surnamed Huang.

A team from Shanghai was then dispatched to the scene to conduct a preliminary examination. Forensic analysis subsequently confirmed the identity of the girl.

Police said the cause of death was consistent with drowning, and that there are no signs a crime had taken place.

Huang was last seen at Shanghai Nanhui Beach on the afternoon of Oct 4 before her family reported her missing to the local police, which launched a search operation along the coastline and surrounding waters.

Zheng Zheng contributed to this story.