Update: Missoni Search Continues Day 4

Yesterday we reported that it was believed that Vittorio Missoni may have been kidnapped. Venezuelan authorities have stepped up their efforts to find the missing plane carrying Missoni, his wife and friends. They have now dismissed reports that the Italian fashion executive may have been kidnapped.

WWD reported that "A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the government is not working with the possibility of a kidnapping, although the area where the plane carrying Missoni and three others went missing in a region known for drug smuggling. The spokesman also said there is no official time limit for the search, even though there were reports that the government had to continue looking for at least the next four days."

On Monday, Vittorio Missoni's sister Angela issued a statement saying, "I am in close contact with the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and currently in Rome for appointments and to report to the State Police the disappearance of my brother, while coordinating all the information and offers of aid that we have received from all over the world."

She said her brother Luca is in Venezuela and is actively involved in the search. "He is a pilot and he is also flying over the area now," she said.

All avenues are being explored to figure out what indeed happened. We will keep you posted as the story develops.