19 Mar 2018

Search continues for missing Kiribati fishermen

11:33 am on 19 March 2018

The search is continuing for two Kiribati fishermen who have been missing for five days.

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Photo: Supplied / NZ Defence Force

On Sunday a New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion aircraft began assisting in the search for the 30 and 45-year-old men.

The Orion covered the area around Nonouti atoll where the six-metre aluminium boat had left last week.

The Rescue Coordination Centre in Suva said, this morning, the aircraft will search the sea further south of the atoll.

There are also two boats from Kiribati that are involved in the search.

The missing vessel did not have an emergency distress beacon on board.

In January an inter-island ferry sank shortly after leaving Nonouti, claiming more than 80 lives.