Police in Melbourne have handed over the investigation into the disappearance of Irishwoman Jill Meagher to their homicide division.
Mrs Meagher, 29, from Drogheda, Co Louth, was last seen with friends from work at a bar in the Brunswick area of the city on Saturday morning (Friday afternoon Irish time).
Police fears that she may have met with foul play intensified after her handbag and its contents were found in a nearby street this morning.
The area where the bag was found was cordoned off for a search.
Mrs Meagher's uncle has said the 29-year-old was very dependable and it was very unlike her to go missing.
Speaking from Drogheda, Michael McKeown said the family hoped that police would find her alive and well.
He said: "She went missing in a familiar area to herself. So it's a great possibility that ... something has happened to her in that area, and she's still in that area somewhere and hopefully that she'll be found."
ABC reporter Lisa Maksimovic said that Mrs Meagher was on familiar ground and declined offers of company for her short walk home.
She said that Mrs Meagher's family and friends have begun a huge social media campaign in an attempt to find her.
Mrs Meagher, who worked for local ABC Radio, has not accessed her bank account since she was last seen and her mobile phone is switched off.
She and her husband Thomas have been living in Australia for a number of years.
ABC reporter Hamish Fitzsimmons said police had been unable to check her bank accounts until today.
He said: "There hasn't been any accessing of her bank accounts. Police had to wait until this morning to get that information and there was still quite a bit of hope around. There still is a glimmer of hope here.
"But when the homicide squad took over the investigation this morning, that's when it really started to hit home to people."
The missing woman is described as being of a fair complexion, 1.65m (5ft 4in) tall, of slim build, with long curly black hair and brown eyes.
She was wearing a blue dress, a black jacket, black patterned stockings and high heels.
