Story highlights
Small plane carrying Vittorio Missoni, five others vanished January 4
A bag from the plane was found on Caribbean island
Officials continue the search off Venezuelan coast
A bag from a missing plane carrying a member of the famed Missoni fashion house has been found on the Caribbean island of Curacao, according to U.S. Missoni spokeswoman Angela Mariani.
The plane went missing off the coast of Venezuela on January 4. Aboard were Vittorio Missoni, his wife and four others. Missoni, 58, is a director of the fashion house, which he runs with his siblings, Luca and Angela.
According to Mariani, the bag belonged to an Italian tourist whose plane took off just minutes after the Missoni plane departed. Because there was no room on the tourist’s plane for his bag, it was put on the Missoni plane.
The aircraft was traveling from Los Roques, an archipelago and resort, south to Caracas.
The bag was discovered by a German tourist on the island of Curacao, about 124 miles west of Los Roques.
“The Missoni family is aware of this news. However, no conclusions can be drawn from this information. The search is continuing in full force,” the family said in an official statement.
Although the waters around Curacao have been searched by local authorities, Venezuelan officials will continue the effort.
CNN’s Alina Cho contributed to this report.
