The fate of a plane of Malaysia Airlines which was believed to go missing on the East Sea on March 8 remains a mystery despite joint search efforts made by forces of Malaysia and regional countries.
According Director General of the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, anything that appears to be objects from the missing Boeing 777-200 has been searched.
He said a total of 34 planes, 40 ships and search crews of China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, Thailand, Australia and the Philippines have taken part in the search efforts.
A team of Malaysian maritime personnel took samples of a large oil slick spotted in the sea off the northern state of Kelantan and sent it to the lab to determine whether it was from the jet. The results will be announced after the lab analysis is completed.
Abdul Rahman said officials had not ruled out hijacking as a cause of the plane's disappearance, noting that security agencies are investigating two European passengers who use stolen passports and have “Asian features”.
Malaysia's Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said security forces are conducting an internal investigation, particularly on the officers, who were on duty at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Immigration counter serving flight MH370.
Meanwhile, at a Beijing hotel, Malaysian embassy officials were processing visa applications for families wanting to take up an airline offer to travel to Kuala Lumpur to be closer to the rescue operations.
The special flight for the victims’ relatives is scheduled to leave Beijing for Kuala Lumpur on March 11.
About 200 people have received free passports and another 100 will get visa on March 10.
Two-thirds of the missing plane’s passengers were from China and if the loss of the aircraft is confirmed it would be China's second-worst air disaster, and the worst globally since 2001.
According to the Chinese News Agency (Xinhua), China on March 10 created a plan for the search and rescue of the missing jet.
Chief of China's Maritime Search and Rescue Center He Jianzhong said the search and rescue plan involves four patrol and rescue vessels and two naval warships.
The search range of the six ships has also been clarified, said He, who is also Vice Minister of transport.
He said that three more patrol and rescue vessels under the command of the transport ministry are expected to arrive in the area on March 10 and 11. Their hull numbers are 115, 31 and 101.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on March 10 called on his people to continue their overseas trips via airlines, asking them not to hastily conclude causes of the missing plane.
There were six Australian nationals on board the Malaysia Airlines flight.
Australia on March 9-10 also sent two P-3C aircraft to join the hunt for the missing aircraft.
The Boeing 777-200 aircraft operated by Malaysia Airlines left Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing at 00:41 a.m. on March 8, and lost contact at around 1:30 a.m. the same day.
The aircraft was carrying 12 crew members and 227 passengers. There has been no confirmed information about the fate of the plane yet.-VNA
According Director General of the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, anything that appears to be objects from the missing Boeing 777-200 has been searched.
He said a total of 34 planes, 40 ships and search crews of China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, Thailand, Australia and the Philippines have taken part in the search efforts.
A team of Malaysian maritime personnel took samples of a large oil slick spotted in the sea off the northern state of Kelantan and sent it to the lab to determine whether it was from the jet. The results will be announced after the lab analysis is completed.
Abdul Rahman said officials had not ruled out hijacking as a cause of the plane's disappearance, noting that security agencies are investigating two European passengers who use stolen passports and have “Asian features”.
Malaysia's Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said security forces are conducting an internal investigation, particularly on the officers, who were on duty at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Immigration counter serving flight MH370.
Meanwhile, at a Beijing hotel, Malaysian embassy officials were processing visa applications for families wanting to take up an airline offer to travel to Kuala Lumpur to be closer to the rescue operations.
The special flight for the victims’ relatives is scheduled to leave Beijing for Kuala Lumpur on March 11.
About 200 people have received free passports and another 100 will get visa on March 10.
Two-thirds of the missing plane’s passengers were from China and if the loss of the aircraft is confirmed it would be China's second-worst air disaster, and the worst globally since 2001.
According to the Chinese News Agency (Xinhua), China on March 10 created a plan for the search and rescue of the missing jet.
Chief of China's Maritime Search and Rescue Center He Jianzhong said the search and rescue plan involves four patrol and rescue vessels and two naval warships.
The search range of the six ships has also been clarified, said He, who is also Vice Minister of transport.
He said that three more patrol and rescue vessels under the command of the transport ministry are expected to arrive in the area on March 10 and 11. Their hull numbers are 115, 31 and 101.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on March 10 called on his people to continue their overseas trips via airlines, asking them not to hastily conclude causes of the missing plane.
There were six Australian nationals on board the Malaysia Airlines flight.
Australia on March 9-10 also sent two P-3C aircraft to join the hunt for the missing aircraft.
The Boeing 777-200 aircraft operated by Malaysia Airlines left Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing at 00:41 a.m. on March 8, and lost contact at around 1:30 a.m. the same day.
The aircraft was carrying 12 crew members and 227 passengers. There has been no confirmed information about the fate of the plane yet.-VNA
