Emiliano Sala: Search for Cardiff City striker and pilot abandoned
The search was called off after a fourth unsuccessful day since the aircraft disappeared off radars on Monday night north of Guernsey - updates from Thursday
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Your support makes all the difference.Follow the latest updates as the search for Emiliano Sala, a pilot and a missing plane was called off on Thursday afternoon without any trace of the missing Cardiff City striker in the English Channel.
The search was called off after a fourth unsuccessful day since the aircraft disappeared off radars on Monday night north of Guernsey. After officials confirmed that the priority of the search changed from a rescue mission to a recovery operation, a statement from police said that Thursday search will focus on coastal areas of the Channel Islands and northern France, yet this turned up nothing linked to the missing aircraft.
Cardiff City have said that they are “realistic” about the fate of Sala, who joined the club in a £15m deal last weekend, and revelations about the aeroplane that was carrying Sala and pilot Dave Ibbotson continue to emerge, including a voice message left by Sala to his friends in Argentina in the final hours before he disappeared complaining about the condition of the plane and his fear for his safety. Follow the live updates below.
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Nantes have released a statement to acknowledge the disappearance of their former striker Sala, and confirmed that they will join the city's residents at a town centre vigil that is planned for later this evening.
A Twitter statement said:
“The management and the entire Club keep hope and it is the whole family of FC Nantes who prays that @EmilianoSala1 and the other passengers of the plane are finally found safe and sound. #PrayForSala
"FC Nantes joins the call of supporters for the vigil tonight from 6.30pm Royal Place in Nantes to drop a yellow tulip at the foot of the fountain."
Who will investigate the missing plane?
No decision on which country will investigate the disappearance of the aircraft carrying footballer Emiliano Sala has been announced.
Under global aviation guidelines, initial responsibility for an accident lies with the state where it occurred.
If a crash happens in international waters then the country where an aircraft is registered takes the primary role.
However, states often delegate responsibility if an accident happens far from their territory.
That means the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is likely to have some role in the inquiry into what happened to the aircraft which went missing over the Channel.
An AAIB spokesman said: "We are liaising with the relevant authorities."
Details of the aircraft involved have not yet been revealed.
Guernsey Police have released a map revealing the area searched throughout the day to the north-west of Alderney and north of Guernsey.
A decision has not yet been taken on whether the search will continue into the night.
LATEST UPDATEFollowing 15 hours of searching the Channel, police have said that they have not been able to find anything that they can prove is from the missing aircraft, not found any evidence of Emiliano Sala and the pilot being alive.
A statement from Guernsey Police confirms that if they did crash-land in the water, chance of them surviving "are at this stage, unfortunately, very slim".
BREAKINGThe search has been suspended as the sun has now set and visuals have become near-impossible.
Search teams will resume looking for any trace of the flight on Wednesday morning, and police do not plan to release any further updates today.
Kylian Mbappe has posted a picture of himself with Emiliano Sala during a Ligue 1 game between Nantes and PSG.
He sends his prayers.
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