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Body of missing 12-year-old autistic boy found on Sitges beach after ten-day search
Child fled family home in Granollers during severe night storm, prompting massive search operation by Catalan emergency services
S. V.
The body of the 12-year-old boy with autism who went missing in Granollers (Barcelona) in the early hours of 4 October has been found ... on the beach at Sitges (Barcelona).
During the spell of heavy rain that hit Catalonia, the boy reportedly left his home during the night, frightened by the thunder, the lightning and the intensity of the storm.
Up to 50 members of the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), firefighters and volunteers searched for the child for ten days, although their efforts were hampered by the flooding and the transport difficulties in the town.
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Although the disappearance took place in one of the areas hardest hit by the torrential rain, the police stated that the case was not directly linked to the flooding. President of the regional government of Catalonia Salvador Illa described this incident as a personal matter that had coincided with the storm.
"There are no words at such a painful time. My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the child," Illa said on Thursday. He thanked the emergency services for working "tirelessly during these difficult days".
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