No breakthroughs in search for British woman missing in Cambodia

Search teams continued to look for 21-year-old Amelia Bambridge, who has not been seen since leaving a party on the island’s Police Beach in the wee hours of last Thursday.

Preah Sihanouk provincial police chief Chuon Narin told The Post on Tuesday that since Bambridge had been reported missing, more than 20 people have been questioned to assist search operations. However, he said none were considered suspects in the disappearance.

“We questioned them as to whether they had seen her before and where she went missing to piece together her movements. We continue to gather information to assist in the search for her,” Narin said.

Bambridge was last seen walking alone to her hostel, the Nest Beach Club, which is more than 1km from Police Beach – so called because of its proximity to a disused police station.

Narin said that while no one had been arrested over the disappearance, authorities would continue to question people and gather information.

The provincial police chief said more than 100 provincial authority personnel, a six-person team of divers and hundreds of Cambodian and foreign volunteers continued to scour the island’s coast and jungle.

Twelve provincial authority motorboats and six from the navy, together with two drones, were involved in the search.

The National Police on Thursday evening sent three sniffer dogs to join the operations.

The young woman’s backpack, containing her mobile phone and ATM card, as well as money, was found on a rock close to the sea. The Nest Beach Club said she had not checked out, and her passport and clothes were still at the hostel.

Five members of Bambridge’s distraught family are in Cambodia, travelling from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong to help in the search.

On Monday, the Guardian reported that Amelia’s father, Phil, who works as a teacher in Vietnam, had said he was losing hope that she would be found alive.

Koh Rong town governor Nuon Bunthol said authorities were searching the jungle around 5-6km away from the beach where it was suspected she went missing, while divers were searching the sea some 6km around the island, but no signs had yet been found.

She said that as well as expanding operations in the sea to 30-40km around Koh Rong, authorities have also informed fishing communities to help in the search. Authorities in neighbouring Koh Kong province have also been called on to inspect coastal areas.

Bambridge’s younger sister Georgie appealed on Facebook to anyone who had been on Koh Rong to come forward with any detail they may have, whether or not they considered it important.

“She had carefully planned this trip for two years to travel by herself after visiting her father in Vietnam. Within a short amount of time on Koh Rong, she had befriended a small group of people as seen on CCTV heading towards Police Beach at 2am and was not seen leaving.” Georgie said.

Bunthol said authorities were suspicious as to why her bag had been left on the rock and why CCTV did not record her leaving the party.