Rescuers find seven survivors of missing Kiribati ferry

Seven survivors from a missing ferry in the Kiribati archipelago have been found floating in the Pacific Ocean.

The MV Butiraoi, with 50 people on board, went missing a week ago. The New Zealand Defence Force announced it had located a small dinghy while searching the area from the air. It had airdropped essential supplies and radio equipment to the survivors, it said. The remaining 43 ferry passengers are still missing. New Zealand and Fiji are among the countries assisting in the search and rescue operation. Air Commodore Darryn Webb said a P-3K2 Orion aircraft found the 5m (16ft) dinghy adrift on Sunday morning.

"The crew has dropped them aid supplies containing water, food and a radio and are currently trying to establish communication with them," he said.