Female body found near home of missing NH girl

LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Investigators found a female body in the Connecticut River on Monday not far from the home of Celina Cass, an 11-year-old girl who went missing from her New Hampshire home a week ago.

Officials declined to immediately identify the body found by divers near a hydroelectric dam close to Cass's hometown of West Stewartstown.

Cass was last seen at home at about 9 p.m. local time on July 25. The 5-foot 5-inch tall Cass, who has long brown hair and hazel eyes, was wearing a pink shirt, pink pullover and blue shorts before she disappeared, authorities said.

"Earlier today, divers from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department discovered what appears to be a body in the Connecticut River in West Stewartstown," New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney said in a statement.

The body was female, according to Vincent Illuzzi, state's attorney for Essex County, Vermont, located across the river from Stewartstown not far from the Canadian border.

"They're going to determine the cause of death and then it will proceed from there," Illuzzi said.

Over the weekend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the girl and the arrest of anyone responsible for her disappearance. In addition, a private citizen to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg, David Bailey and Cynthia Johnston)