Burundi robotics teenagers crossed into Canada after U.S. contest - Police

The whereabouts of two out of six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team that reportedly went missing after a contest in the United States has been disclosed.

The Washington Post portal which broke the news on Thursday quoted a police spokeswoman as saying the two had crossed into Canada.

The two have been identified by the police as Don Charu Ingabire, 16, and Audrey Mwamikazi, 17.

The remaining four are believed to be within the U.S. with reports suggesting they were in “safe hands,” though the authorities refused to give more details.

The teenagers, including two females and four males between the ages of 16 and 18, were last seen at the closing ceremony of the event that hosted 163 national teams made up of students from around the world.

Their adult mentor reported them missing to the competition organisers, FIRST Global, who reported the incident to the police, local media report.

The males are 18-year-old Richard Irakoze and Aristide Irambona; 17-year-old Kevin Sabumukiza; and 16-year-old Don Ingabire. The females are 17-year-old Nice Munezero and Audrey Mwamikazi.

Their mentor said the Burundi team was given a one-year visa. The team, ranked 73 after the competition, was selected from a school in the Burundian capital Bujumbura.