The Armed Forces of Malta yesterday launched a search for a Maltese fishing trawler that failed to return to port on Sunday evening. The Lorenzo Madre, which was engaged on work with the fish farm company Fish-to-Fish Ltd, was due back in Marsaxlokk at around 7.30 p.m.

Sources said the alarm was raised by the Maltese wives of the Tunisian crew later in the evening. The sources said there were two to three crew members on board.

The armed forces said its operations centre at Luqa Barracks yesterday coordinated a search at sea.

The trawler's last known position was some 10 nautical miles south of Malta.

As no radio contact with the vessel could be made, it is suspected that a power failure on board may have rendered the radios useless, the AFM said.

In rough sea, at times in a force eight north-westerly wind, the Italian Military Mission's AB212 search-and-rescue (SAR) AB 212 helicopter conducted a search in the estimated area of drift.

A general notice to shipping in the area has been issued on all VHF-marine and Navtex services.

The search is expected to resume this morning.