IRELAND: The two sisters of Mr Conor Keightley from Cookstown, Co Tyrone, who is missing in Thailand since the St Stephen's Day tsunami, fly out today to try to trace their brother.
On Thursday evening Ms Michelle Keightley and Ms Darina Keightley are due to arrive at Phi Phi - where 31-year-old Conor went missing - after a flight beginning at Belfast City Airport today.
They are being joined by a family relation, Mr Damian Coyle in their search. The family members will be met by Department of Foreign Affairs and Red Cross officials in Thailand, who will assist them, said Conor's father, Mr Dermot Keightley, last night.
"I suppose finding Conor in a hospital is the only hope now," said Mr Keightley.
Gardaí already have DNA samples of Mr Keightley as they also assisted the family.
Meanwhile, people in Northern Ireland continue to respond generously to the tsunami fund-raising appeal.
All the churches and other agencies are involved in major fund-raising for the victims of the Asian disaster.
The "Black Santa" charity appeal in Belfast, which was especially extended after Christmas, has now raised over £650,000 for the disaster fund.
Dean Houston McKelvey of St Anne's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Belfast had raised about £200,000 for various charities before Christmas, but further fund-raising more than trebled that figure.
Dean McKelvey, who is known as the Black Santa because of the special long black cape he wears when fund-raising, yesterday presented £500,000 of the total sum to Christian Aid, with more to follow. By next Saturday the total sum collected could well reach £1 million.
"Belfast may not have won the title of European City of Culture last year, but it is entitled to call itself European City of Charity," Dean McKelvey said.
