A joint team of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) resumed the search for a 12-year-old boy who went missing in Karunagappally, Kollam, on Sunday morning.

The missing boy, Muhammed Bilal, son of Noushad, was a resident of Pada South in Ayanivelikkulangara. The search is focused on the Kanetti backwaters near his residence, where his bicycle and clothes were found on the banks.

"Bilal left home around 4 pm on Saturday, telling his family that he was going to play with his friends. He usually returned by 6 pm. When he failed to return, his parents searched the area and found his bicycle and clothes near the backwaters. They also learned that he had not met his friends that evening," said an officer from the Karunagappally Police Station.

The family alerted the police, following which the Karunagappally Fire Force launched a search in the backwaters. A scuba team continued the operation until 12.30 am on Sunday but had to suspend it due to poor visibility.

The search resumed around 6.30 am with the assistance of an NDRF team, a Fire Force official said.

Karunagappally police have registered a case under Section 57(1)(A) of the Kerala Police Act pertaining to missing persons.