Woman May Be Only Survivor Of Shipwreck

Ships and planes were searching today for 21 people missing after a boat capsized off Fiji’s northern island of Vanua Levu.

Authorities were alerted Wednesday night when a woman, the only known survivor, struggled ashore at a village after more than a day in the water.

She stayed afloat by clinging to a plastic container, police said.

The woman told villagers the 30-foot boat capsized on the open sea Tuesday during a 70-mile voyage from another island to the town of Labasa.

There was no sign of any more survivors at dawn today, a rescue operation spokesman said.

Fifteen men and seven woman were aboard the boat.