Body found in search for man missing since London attack
Police say waiting on formal identification of possible eighth victim, a French citizen, found in River Thames
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LONDON — London police said Wednesday they had recovered a body from the River Thames in their search for Xavier Thomas, a 45-year-old French national missing since the city’s weekend terror attack.
“Formal identification has not yet taken place, however Mr. Thomas’ next of kin have been informed of this development,” police said in a statement.
The body was found late on Tuesday near London’s former dockyards in Limehouse, about two kilometers (1.2 miles) downstream from London Bridge, where Saturday’s attack began.
Thomas has not been seen since the night of the attack.
If the body is identified as being him, he would be an eighth victim.
The current death toll stands at seven people after three terrorists wearing fake suicide vests mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge and launched a stabbing spree in bars in nearby Borough Market. Another 48 people were injured in the attack, many of the seriously.
The attackers were shot dead by armed police within eight minutes of the start of the attack.
Police had issued an appeal for information about Thomas on Tuesday, saying he and his girlfriend were walking south over London Bridge towards Borough Market at around the time the attack started.
The two were visiting London for the weekend.
“Witness accounts suggest that it is possible that Xavier was struck by the van that resulted in him being thrown into the River Thames,” police said in Tuesday’s statement.
His girlfriend was seriously injured on the bridge when she was hit by the vehicle.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.