Body of missing teen girl found

The older brother of a high school student who went missing last month in Sichuan province confirmed on Wednesday morning that the teen's body was found in a river, according to a local media report.

The brother was quoted by local news outlet Cover.cn as saying that his sister's body was discovered on Tuesday — exactly one month since her disappearance — in a stretch of the Tuojiang River near a bridge in Zizhong county.

"My sister was fully clothed, and the police did an autopsy," he said, adding that an investigation is underway.

The 18-year-old, surnamed Cao, was a senior high school student who was planning to sit for the national college entrance exam this summer.

On Jan 7, she was absent from an evening class, claiming she had a foot injury, according to the news report by Cover.cn.

The report said that Cao sent her friend a strange text message on the night she disappeared.

"I will send you something. You can look at it in half an hour and then send it to people according to my notes," the text read.

The friend and one of Cao's classmates soon informed her teacher about the messages, the report said.

The teacher immediately contacted Cao's family after speaking with the students. That night, the Zizhong police, her family and school workers were mobilized to look for the teen.

According to the police, they found a mask and a black down coat on Jan 8 near the river, both of which were identified as Cao's belongings.

In the following days, the police, family and school employees continued searching for Cao around the river, with professional rescue teams joining the effort.

On Wednesday morning, Cao's brother posted a message on WeChat about Cao: "My sister, rest in peace."