According to the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese officials, the search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will be doubled if nothing is found in the current search zone, officials say.
The Australian, Malaysian and Chinese ministers have met to discuss progress.
Malaysia Airlines plane, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board.
It is believed to have crashed off Western Australia, but so far no trace has been found.
At the moment teams using sophisticated sonar equipment are scouring a 23,000 sq mile area of seabed far west of the Australian city of Perth. About 40% of this remains to be searched.
If nothing is found, the search will be extended by another 23,000 sq mile to “cover the entire highest probability area identified by expert analysis”, a joint statement from the ministers said.
The additional search area could take up to a year to complete given adverse weather conditions in the upcoming winter months, the statement said.
Investigators still do not know what happened to the plane.
The search zone has been defined based on analysis of hourly “handshakes” between the plane and a communications satellite.
There is still no explanation as to why it flew so far off course – making finding the plane and its “black box” voice recorders key to understanding its fate.
The bodies of 20 Malaysian victims of Flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine last month have arrived in Kuala Lumpur.
A specially chartered plane took off from Amsterdam and landed around 10:00 local time.
National flags are flying at half-mast for the day of mourning.
Flight MH17 is believed to have been shot down by a missile fired by pro-Russian rebels. They deny the claim.
All 298 passengers and crew on board the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 died on July 17.
From office workers to train drivers, many among the nation of 30 million observed a minute’s silence as white hearses drove the remains from the airport to private funerals in various provinces.
Malaysia’s public transportation, including the national rail system and Kuala Lumpur’s monorail, paused during the minute of silence.
PM Najib Razak, who turned his Twitter and Facebook pages black, wrote a condolence message that was widely shared.
The bodies of 20 Malaysian victims of Flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine last month have arrived in Kuala Lumpur (photo Getty Images)
“Last month, 43 Malaysian lives were taken over eastern Ukraine. Today we mourn the loss of our people. Today, we begin to bring them home.”
“Our thoughts and our prayers are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives. Today we stand with you, united as one.”
Transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement that the government will “redouble” efforts to bring home the remaining victims.
Malaysia Airlines is organizing a public prayer session and a spokesman also expressed the company’s condolences.
Earlier on Thursday, a contingent of Malaysian soldiers met the plane to escort the coffins to the hearses.
All the coffins were draped in the national flag. Three of the 20 bodies have been cremated in the Netherlands.
The victims’ bodies have been given to their families and relatives to be laid to rest.
This is the first time Malaysia is holding a national day of mourning for civilian victims.
The honor has traditionally been accorded only to the royal family and heads of government.
Of the 43 Malaysian victims, 28 have been identified in the Netherlands so far, which is leading an international investigation into the crash in eastern Ukraine.
More than 200 coffins with remains of the victims have so far been taken to the Netherlands.
The inquiry is being hampered by continuing fighting between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian rebels near the crash site.
Chinese families of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane passengers have flown to Kuala Lumpur to seek answers from the Malaysian authorities.
The relatives say they have not been given enough information, and want to meet Malaysia’s prime minister and transport minister face to face.
Ten planes and eight ships are looking for remains of the airliner in a vast area of the Indian Ocean.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.
Some relatives of the flight’s 153 Chinese passengers have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and have accused the authorities of withholding information.
After landing at Kuala Lumpur they vented their frustration at a news conference chanting “We want proof”, and holding banners reading “Hand over the murderer” and “You must return the relatives”.
They have vented their anger at officials during regular briefings by Malaysian officials at a hotel in Beijing.
Malaysia’s acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Saturday that the search for survivors would continue.
Chinese families of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane passengers have flown to Kuala Lumpur to seek answers from the Malaysian authorities (photo AP)
Malaysian officials have concluded that, based on satellite data, the missing plane flew into the sea somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. So far no trace of it has been found.
A Chinese and an Australian ship failed to identify debris from the missing flight after their first day in a new search area, about 1,150 miles west of Perth, on Saturday.
Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 and Australia’s HMAS Success both retrieved objects but none was confirmed to be from flight MH370, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said in a statement.
Some of the objects have been very small, and officials have cautioned that they may be sea junk.
Aircraft involved in the search have so far reported seeing a number of objects of various colors floating in the sea in the new area since Friday.
Poor conditions have hampered recent search efforts.
An Australian vessel carrying a US device known as a “towed pinger locator” is due to join the search in the coming days.
The device is designed to detect any ultrasonic signals – “pings” – from flight recorders and can operate up to a depth of about 6,000 m.
But the search area is huge – covering some 123,000 sq miles – and time is running short. The flight recorders’ batteries are expected to run out in about a week’s time.
The current search area is about 700 miles north-east of the previous zone.
Officials said the focus changed after radar data showed the plane had been travelling faster than previously thought, thus burning more fuel.
This would reduce the possible distance the aircraft travelled south.
Various theories about what went wrong have been suggested – including the captain hijacking his own plane.
The speculation was fuelled by reports that files had been deleted on the pilot’s home flight simulator.
However, on Saturday, Malaysia’s transport minister said investigators had found “nothing sinister” from the simulator.
Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 vanished less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.
The airliner diverted off course and lost contact with air traffic controllers between Malaysian and Vietnamese air-traffic control areas.
The Future Music Festival final day has been cancelled in Malaysia following a death at the event.
Acts including Rudimental, Eric Prydz and Pharrell Williams were due to perform in Kuala Lumpur.
Organizers say they have taken local authorities’ advice to not proceed with Day 3 of the festival.
Details of who died are not known, but reports of five deaths linked to drugs have been dismissed.
The Future Music Festival final day has been cancelled in Malaysia following a death at the event
In a post on the festival’s Facebook page, organizers wrote: “A police report has been filed and we are working very closely with all relevant authorities in examining and determining the cause of this very unfortunate incident.
“In the interest of public safety we have heeded the authority’s advice to not proceed with Day-3 of Future Music Festival Asia 2014.
“This is also to help in the ongoing investigation. We appreciate the understanding of all parties and will share updates on this matter as soon as possible. “
Refunds are being offered through the event’s website.
The Future Music Festival (FMF) has been running in Malaysia since 2012. It’s a spin-off of the same event which has been held in various Australian cities since 2006.
Australia’s ambassador has been summoned in Indonesia amid reports that Australian embassies have been used as part of a US-led spying network in Asia.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), diplomatic posts in Asia were being used to intercept phone calls and data.
China has also demanded an explanation from the US over the allegations.
The reports were based on an NSA document leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The document, which was originally published by German newspaper Der Spiegel, describes a signals intelligence programme called Stateroom which involves the interception of radio, telecommunications and internet traffic using equipment in US, British, Australian and Canadian diplomatic missions.
Diplomatic posts involved included those in Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, amongst others, SMH reported on Thursday.
Australia’s ambassador has been summoned in Indonesia amid reports that Australian embassies have been used as part of a US-led spying network in Asia
A former Australian intelligence officer, who was not named, told SMH that the Australian embassies in Jakarta and Bali were used to collect signals.
In a statement, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said: “[The government] cannot accept and strongly protests the news of the existence of wiretapping facilities at the US embassy in Jakarta.”
“If confirmed, such action is not only a breach of security, but also a serious breach of diplomatic norms and ethics.”
“The reported activities absolutely do not reflect the spirit of a close and friendly relationship between the two neighbors and are considered unacceptable by the government of Indonesia,” the foreign ministry added in a statement.
Australian ambassador Greg Moriarty was summoned to the foreign ministry on Monday.
He described the talks, which reportedly took less than half an hour, as “a good meeting”.
Australia and Indonesia are key allies and trading partners. Australia requires Indonesia’s co-operation on the asylum issue, as many asylum seekers travel via Indonesia to Australia by boat.
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing was “extremely concerned” about the report.
“[China] demands that the US offer a clarification and explanation,” she said.
“We demand that foreign embassies in China and their staff respect the Vienna Convention.”
Malaysia’s foreign ministry, in a statement, said it had sought clarification on the issue from the US envoy in Kuala Lumpur, adding that Malaysia’s “security and sovereignty” remained the priority.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to comment on the reports. PM Tony Abbott said: “Every Australian governmental agency, every Australian official… operates in accordance with the law.”
The reports are the latest in a series of documents leaked by Edward Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia and is wanted in the US in connection with the unauthorized disclosures.
The US is facing growing anger over reports it spied on its allies abroad.
However, correspondents say that in reality most governments conduct surveillance or espionage operations against other countries whose activities matter to them.
[youtube alZU8_9FECE 650]
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
