9yo missing girl in Blue Mountains, found dead in barrel

A 32-year-old man has been charged with the nine-year-old girls murder.
A 32-year-old man has been charged with the nine-year-old girls murder. Photo credit: Image - Supplied

Australian police have charged a man with murder over the death of a nine-year-old girl who disappeared last week in the Blue Mountains. 

7 News reports, New South Wales police confirmed on Wednesday morning that their search teams had located the body of a child inside of a barrel along the Colo River in the Blue Mountains. 

The child's body has not yet been formally identified, following divers locating the body on Tuesday.

A 32-year-old man was arrested at a housing unit in Surry Hills near Sydney on Tuesday night, before he was taken to the local police station and charged with the young girls murder. 

Via audio-visual link, the man briefly appeared in the Sydney Central Local Court on Wednesday morning. 

7 News reports the man's lawyer told the court he suffered from "long term" mental health problems and requested a full health assessment. 

The court was told the man had "concerns for his personal safety" in custody and requested solitary confinement. The magistrate said that would be a matter for Corrective Services. 

The accused didn't apply for bail and will return to court on March 18 2022. 

The young girl had been holidaying with her family in Mount Wilson, about 120km northwest of Sydney. 

Prime Miniter Scott Morrison was visibly shaken when he was told at a news conference that he held on Wednesday morning. 

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen that before I came out today."

"Having heard that news, it's just devastating," he added. 

Morrison later thanked emergency services in a Facebook post, sharing his thoughts with the young girls family. 

"I can't imagine the grief the family are going through, my thoughts and prayer are with them at this terrible time."