Italian Authorities Continue Ship Search

A ship, called the Davis, believed to be carrying as many as 180 illegal immigrants was still missing on Monday, after sending a distress signal from waters off southern Italy on Saturday evening, the Italian coastguard said. The coastguard searched all weekend for the ship with speedboats and a helicopter but found nothing. "The search is still continuing," a spokesman for the Brindisi coastguard said on Monday morning. Greek radio operators picked up the signal and transferred it to Italy, which estimated the boat to be 24-30 nautical miles off the coast of Brindisi on Italy's southeastern heel. The coastguard said it was not known precisely how many people were on board, but the ship was thought to be transporting illegal immigrants. Italian radio said the vessel was carrying at least 180 people. - (Reuters)