Guangdong authorities launch massive search for missing 11-year-old boy

An intensive 13-day search operation was launched in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province, for an 11-year-old boy with intellectual disabilities who went missing on May 18. The search involved over 1,000 personnel, including police, rescue teams, forest rangers, and local citizens, utilizing drones and search dogs to navigate a dense mountainous area covering more than 7,000 mu (approximately 466 hectares).

Search efforts were severely hampered by heavy rain, slippery terrain, and a lack of cellular service, which also made it difficult for search dogs to track scents. On May 29, a breakthrough occurred when a local herbalist discovered a piece of soiled clothing along a remote mountain road, approximately 8 kilometers from the boy's home. The boy's parents identified the item, prompting authorities to concentrate search efforts within a 4-5 kilometer radius of the discovery.