Fears voiced for missing student, 19

HAMADA, Shimane Prefecture--Police here Monday said a 19-year-old University of Shimane student has been missing since Oct. 26 and voiced fears for her safety.

The Shimane prefectural police called on the public for any information concerning the whereabouts of Miyako Hiraoka, a first-year student in the policy studies faculty at the prefecture-run university, located in this city.

She was last seen walking away from an ice-cream shop in a shopping mall in the city, where she worked part-time.

Hiraoka is 147 centimeters tall, slender and has semi-long hair. There was no trace of forced entry where she lives, nor was money withdrawn from her bank account, police said.(IHT/Asahi: November 5,2009)