The body of a male student who had been missing since Thursday was found at a sewer mouth on Viên Street. — Photos tienphong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội authorities on Friday found the body of a male student who had been missing since Thursday, amid suspicions that he may have been swept into a sewer during flooding caused by heavy rain.

Rescue forces discovered a male body at the entrance of the sewer at Mỏ Bridge on Viên Street, Đông Ngạc Ward at around 11.35am on Friday.

The area is part of a drainage system toward the Nhuệ River.

Previously, at 11.15am, divers had found a helmet believed to belong to the missing student inside the drainage system, more than 100m from where the incident occurred.

A dark blue helmet was found at the location where the student was believed to have gone missing.

At around 10am on Thursday, local residents found a dark blue Honda Wave motorbike bearing the number plate 18F5-55xx near the entrance to a sewer at the end of Viên Street, toward Area B of the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology.

The area was flooded at the time following heavy rain.

Initial verification showed that the motorbike was associated with N.D.S., born in 2008 and from Ninh Bình Province, a first-year student in the Faculty of Electromechanical Engineering at the university.

His family had reported being unable to contact him since Thursday.

Police, military personnel, militia members and professional divers were mobilised to search the drainage system and surrounding areas throughout Thursday night and early Friday morning.

The case is being investigated further. — VNS