Excavation to find boy missing 25 years ago

(Baonghean.vn) - Excavations at a farm on Kos Island (Greece) began today (September 26) in an effort to find a British boy who went missing in Greece 25 years ago.

Ben Needham went missing on the island of Kos at the age of 21 months. Photo EPA

Boy Ben Needham living in Sheffield city, South Yorkshire county (UK) went missing on July 24, 1991 when he was only 21 months old while on vacation with his family on Kos island.

Ben's family then launched a search campaign but to no avail. They blamed the Greek authorities for not acting promptly and decisively.

New information has revealed that the boy may have been crushed by an excavator while playing nearby.

In May, South Yorkshire coroners returned to Kos to reopen the investigation. A witness on the island told police that Konstantinos Barkas, who was driving a digger on a farm near where Ben was playing, may have accidentally killed him on the day he went missing.

Excavator operator Barkas died of stomach cancer last year. However, Barkas' wife, Varvara, strongly denies any accusation that her husband caused Ben's death.

The excavation could take 10-12 days as “unusual” soil samples are still being tested, South Yorkshire Police said.

Since the boy's disappearance, many assumptions have been made about his fate, but his mother, Kerry Needham, has always believed that one day she will be reunited with her son.

“Never in my worst nightmares did I think Ben was dead,” Kerry told the Daily Mirror.

However, investigators on the island of Kos said Ms Kerry should also “prepare for the worst” when carrying out the excavation.

Lam Vy

(According to Guardian)