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Malaysia plane search: Hunt continues after 'debris' sighted Malaysia plane search: Hunt continues after 'debris' sighted
(about 1 hour later)
A multinational team searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet are investigating possible debris spotted in the sea off south Vietnam. A multinational team searching for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet are investigating possible debris spotted in the sea south of Vietnam.
Vietnamese navy planes have reported seeing what could be fragments from Flight MH370, which vanished almost two days ago with 239 people on board.Vietnamese navy planes have reported seeing what could be fragments from Flight MH370, which vanished almost two days ago with 239 people on board.
Officials said it was too dark to confirm the find overnight, but ships would look for the objects on Monday. Relatives of the missing passengers have been told by the authorities to prepare for the worst.
Focus is also on two passengers who were travelling on stolen passports. There is still no indication of what happened to the plane.
An investigation into the cause of its disappearance is focusing on two passengers who boarded the flight using stolen passports.
Malaysian military officials said on Sunday that the plane, a Boeing 777-200ER, may have turned back from its scheduled route shortly before vanishing from radar screens, further deepening the mystery surrounding its fate.Malaysian military officials said on Sunday that the plane, a Boeing 777-200ER, may have turned back from its scheduled route shortly before vanishing from radar screens, further deepening the mystery surrounding its fate.
Relatives of the missing passengers have been told to prepare for the worst.
Contact lostContact lost
Flight MH730 left Kuala Lumpur, bound for Beijing, at 00:41 local time on Saturday (16:41 GMT on Friday). But radio contact was lost at 17:30 GMT, somewhere between Malaysia and Vietnam. Flight MH730 left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing at 00:41 local time on Saturday (16:41 GMT on Friday). But radio contact was lost at 17:30 GMT, somewhere between Malaysia and Vietnam.
Late on Sunday, the Vietnamese authorities said possible debris from the plane had been spotted in the sea off south Vietnam. There are now 40 ships and 34 aircraft from nine different nations taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia.
"We received information from a Vietnamese plane saying that they found two broken objects, which seem like those of an aircraft, located about 50 miles to the south-west of Tho Chu Island," an unnamed official from the National Committee for Search and Rescue told AFP news agency. Late on Sunday, the Vietnamese authorities said two objects had been sighted in waters south of Vietnam which appeared to resemble aircraft parts, including a door.
The state-run Thanh Nien newspaper quoted Lt Gen Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of Vietnam's army, as saying searchers in a low-flying plane had spotted an object which resembled an aeroplane door. It was in a similar area to a possible oil slick seen by Vietnamese navy planes on Saturday, but officials have cautioned that this too may be nothing to do with the disappearance of Flight MH370.
The potential debris was in a similar area to a possible oil slick seen by Vietnamese navy planes on Saturday, but officials have cautioned that this too may be nothing to do with the disappearance of Flight MH370. US Navy officials said their aircraft had not seen any debris associated with commercial aircraft wreckage.
Fake passports
The BBC's Nga Pham is on board one of the Vietnamese planes involved in the search.
She says two aircraft will be looking for the possible debris while the Vietnamese navy is sending two ships.
There are now 40 ships and 34 aircraft from nine different nations taking part in the search for the missing plane in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia.
Commander William Marks from the US Seventh Fleet, which is taking part in the search, told the BBC the difficulty was in covering such a large area, spanning hundreds of kilometres.Commander William Marks from the US Seventh Fleet, which is taking part in the search, told the BBC the difficulty was in covering such a large area, spanning hundreds of kilometres.
"Just from the air we can see things as small as almost the size of your hand, or a basketball. So it's not a matter of if we can see it - it's an extremely large area."Just from the air we can see things as small as almost the size of your hand, or a basketball. So it's not a matter of if we can see it - it's an extremely large area.
Officials say they still have no idea what happened to the aircraft.Officials say they still have no idea what happened to the aircraft.
Antony Roman, a licensed commercial pilot and investigations expert, told the BBC that the night time conditions would have made a successful emergency landing over the sea almost impossible, if the aircraft had suffered serious technical problems. Antony Roman, a licensed commercial pilot and investigations expert, told the BBC that if the aircraft had suffered serious technical problems the night time conditions would have made a successful emergency landing over the sea "very, very unlikely".
"If it was a moonless night, which it looks like it was, the pilot would have no references to the surface - no visual references," he said.
A successful night landing over the ocean was "very, very unlikely", he said.
Investigators are looking at all angles, including a possible terror attack. Counter-terrorism agencies and the FBI are involved in the operation.Investigators are looking at all angles, including a possible terror attack. Counter-terrorism agencies and the FBI are involved in the operation.
The identities of some of the people onboard are being probed.The identities of some of the people onboard are being probed.
Malaysia's civil aviation chief, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, said five passengers booked on the flight did not board and their luggage was consequently removed.Malaysia's civil aviation chief, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, said five passengers booked on the flight did not board and their luggage was consequently removed.
International police agency Interpol also confirmed that two passengers were travelling on stolen passports registered on its databases. International police agency Interpol has confirmed that two passengers were travelling on passports registered on its databases as stolen.
The passengers - travelling with Italian and Austrian passports that had been stolen in Thailand - purchased their plane tickets at the same time, and were both booked on the same onward flight from Beijing to Europe on Saturday. The passengers - travelling with Italian and Austrian passports stolen in Thailand years ago - had purchased their tickets at the same time from China Southern Airlines, which shared the flight with Malaysia Airlines.
Both had purchased their tickets from China Southern Airlines, which shared the flight with Malaysia Airlines, and they had consecutive ticket numbers. They had consecutive ticket numbers and were both booked on the same onward flight from Beijing to Europe on Saturday.
"Whilst it is too soon to speculate about any connection between these stolen passports and the missing plane, it is clearly of great concern that any passenger was able to board an international flight using a stolen passport listed in Interpol databases," the secretary general of Interpol, Ronald Noble, said in a statement. Ronald Noble, the secretary general of Interpol, said in a statement that while it was too soon to speculate on any connection between the theft and the plane's disappearance, it was "clearly of great concern that any passenger was able to board an international flight using a stolen passport listed in Interpol databases".
He said no checks of Interpol's database had been made for either passport between the time they were stolen and the departure of the flight, and expressed frustration that few of Interpol's 190 member countries "systematically" search the database.He said no checks of Interpol's database had been made for either passport between the time they were stolen and the departure of the flight, and expressed frustration that few of Interpol's 190 member countries "systematically" search the database.
The passengers on the flight were of 14 different nationalities. Two-thirds were from China, while others were from elsewhere in Asia, North America and Europe.The passengers on the flight were of 14 different nationalities. Two-thirds were from China, while others were from elsewhere in Asia, North America and Europe.
China has sent a team of government officials to Kuala Lumpur to look into the case.China has sent a team of government officials to Kuala Lumpur to look into the case.
The BBC's John Sudworth in Beijing says relatives waiting for news are getting increasingly frustrated, saying they are not getting information in a timely manner.The BBC's John Sudworth in Beijing says relatives waiting for news are getting increasingly frustrated, saying they are not getting information in a timely manner.
They have complained that government officials have not visited the families, our correspondent adds.They have complained that government officials have not visited the families, our correspondent adds.
Malaysia Airlines is the country's national carrier, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.Malaysia Airlines is the country's national carrier, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.
On Monday, shares in Malaysia Airlines fell 18% to a record low.