New search for missing British girl Madeleine McCann will focus on land, not water

() — Police investigating the disappearance of British girl Madeleine McCann will carry out a new search in Portugal based on recent information, German authorities told on Monday.

The new search will take place near the Arade reservoir, near the Portuguese city of Silves, about 50 kilometers from the tourist area where McCann disappeared in 2007, according to the affiliate in Portugal.

The investigation is expected to begin this Tuesday and last for a maximum of two days, Portugal also reported, adding that the British and German police will observe the search by the Portuguese police.

Authorities will focus on land rather than water, the sources also told affiliate Portugal.

“This time, the searches will not be carried out in the water,” Portugal reported. “Inspectors will look for objects that may be of interest for the investigation or rule out hypotheses.”

Madeleine McCann was three years old when she disappeared from her bedroom on May 3, 2007 during a family holiday in the Algarve region, while her parents were dining with friends nearby at the Praia da Luz resort.

In April 2022, the Portuguese and German authorities named Christian Brückner, a German citizen who lived in the Algarve between 1995 and 2007, as a suspect.

Brückner has denied involvement in McCann’s disappearance.

The spokesman for the German city of Braunschweig prosecutor’s office said Portuguese police began searching the reservoir after receiving a tip from Germany.

The Arade reservoir had already been searched in 2008, when divers found bones that were later found to be animal remains, according to Portugal.