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| Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Search and rescue helicopter team confirms 'yellow object' sighting is not life raft from missing jet | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Authorities searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 have said a "yellow object" spotted off the coast of Vietnam was not a lift raft from the missing plane. | Authorities searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 have said a "yellow object" spotted off the coast of Vietnam was not a lift raft from the missing plane. |
| Earlier the crew from a Vietnamese jet reported seeing a "possible life raft" floating in the sea around 250 miles off the country’s southern coast, but were unable to get close enough to describe it in any more detail, the Vietnamese transport minister said. | Earlier the crew from a Vietnamese jet reported seeing a "possible life raft" floating in the sea around 250 miles off the country’s southern coast, but were unable to get close enough to describe it in any more detail, the Vietnamese transport minister said. |
| Search and rescue teams from Vietnam were dispatched to the area in helicopters, and a ship sent from Malaysia, to investigate the area around 90 miles southwest of Tho Chu Island. | Search and rescue teams from Vietnam were dispatched to the area in helicopters, and a ship sent from Malaysia, to investigate the area around 90 miles southwest of Tho Chu Island. |
| But this morning the Vietnamese Civil Aviation Authority said one of its crews had "salvaged the object... identified as a moss-covered cap of cable reel". | But this morning the Vietnamese Civil Aviation Authority said one of its crews had "salvaged the object... identified as a moss-covered cap of cable reel". |
| Officials had earlier quashed previous rumours that objects from the plane had been found, and said they were struggling with an "unprecedented aviation mystery". | Officials had earlier quashed previous rumours that objects from the plane had been found, and said they were struggling with an "unprecedented aviation mystery". |
| Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, the director-general of Malaysia's own Civil Aviation body, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, said samples of oil from a slick on the ocean were still being tested to see if had come from flight MH370. | Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, the director-general of Malaysia's own Civil Aviation body, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, said samples of oil from a slick on the ocean were still being tested to see if had come from flight MH370. |
| "As far as we are concerned, we have to find the aircraft, we have to find a piece of the aircraft if possible," he said. | "As far as we are concerned, we have to find the aircraft, we have to find a piece of the aircraft if possible," he said. |
| Earlier, Malaysia's interior minister had suggested two passengers travelling on stolen European passports, had "Asian" features. Investigators said at the weekend that the passengers using those passports were the focus of their inquiry. | Earlier, Malaysia's interior minister had suggested two passengers travelling on stolen European passports, had "Asian" features. Investigators said at the weekend that the passengers using those passports were the focus of their inquiry. |
| "I am still puzzled how come the immigration officers cannot think 'an Italian and Austrian but with Asian facial features'," Interior Minister Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying by Bernama, Malaysia's national news agency. | "I am still puzzled how come the immigration officers cannot think 'an Italian and Austrian but with Asian facial features'," Interior Minister Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying by Bernama, Malaysia's national news agency. |
| Asked about this on Monday, Mr Rahman said investigators were still assessing CCTV footage of the passengers checking in for the flight. "We have to get a report from the investigation team. They are doing the investigation," he said. | Asked about this on Monday, Mr Rahman said investigators were still assessing CCTV footage of the passengers checking in for the flight. "We have to get a report from the investigation team. They are doing the investigation," he said. |
| He also said that five passengers who checked-in for the flight but who did not board, had had their luggage removed and checked. Nothing untoward was found. | He also said that five passengers who checked-in for the flight but who did not board, had had their luggage removed and checked. Nothing untoward was found. |
| More than two days after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing, the final minutes before its disappearance remain a mystery. The plane lost contact with ground controllers somewhere between Malaysia and Vietnam. | More than two days after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing, the final minutes before its disappearance remain a mystery. The plane lost contact with ground controllers somewhere between Malaysia and Vietnam. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Mr Rahman said officials had set no time-frame for the search and referred to the search for Air France flight 447 which went missing in 2009 on route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing all 228 aboard. | Mr Rahman said officials had set no time-frame for the search and referred to the search for Air France flight 447 which went missing in 2009 on route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing all 228 aboard. |
| It took investigators two years to locate the black box recorders and three years to piece together what happened. A report eventually blamed a combination of technical failure and pilot error. | It took investigators two years to locate the black box recorders and three years to piece together what happened. A report eventually blamed a combination of technical failure and pilot error. |
| "The experts have said this is a very big area for us to cover," Mr Rahman said of the area currently being searched. "We all have to work together to find this aircraft... It will take as long as it takes to find the aircraft." | "The experts have said this is a very big area for us to cover," Mr Rahman said of the area currently being searched. "We all have to work together to find this aircraft... It will take as long as it takes to find the aircraft." |
| Family members comfort Chrisman Siregar (left) and his wife Herlina Panjaitan, the parents of Firman Siregar, one of the Indonesian citizens thought to have boarded the Malaysia Airlines jetliner A total of 34 aircraft and 40 ships from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, China and the United States have been deployed to the area where ground controllers lost contact with the plane, the maritime border between Malaysia and Vietnam. | Family members comfort Chrisman Siregar (left) and his wife Herlina Panjaitan, the parents of Firman Siregar, one of the Indonesian citizens thought to have boarded the Malaysia Airlines jetliner A total of 34 aircraft and 40 ships from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, China and the United States have been deployed to the area where ground controllers lost contact with the plane, the maritime border between Malaysia and Vietnam. |
| Of the 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, two-thirds were Chinese, while the rest were from elsewhere in Asia, Europe and North America. Five Indians were among the passengers. | Of the 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, two-thirds were Chinese, while the rest were from elsewhere in Asia, Europe and North America. Five Indians were among the passengers. |
| The thefts of the two passports - one belonging to Austrian Christian Kozel and the other to Luigi Maraldi of Italy - were entered into Interpol's database after they were stolen in Thailand in 2012 and last year, the police body said. | The thefts of the two passports - one belonging to Austrian Christian Kozel and the other to Luigi Maraldi of Italy - were entered into Interpol's database after they were stolen in Thailand in 2012 and last year, the police body said. |
| But no authorities in Malaysia or elsewhere checked the passports against the database of 40 million stolen or lost travel documents before the Malaysia Airlines plane took off. | But no authorities in Malaysia or elsewhere checked the passports against the database of 40 million stolen or lost travel documents before the Malaysia Airlines plane took off. |
| Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines said it was working to provide relatives of those on board the flight visas and flights to enable them to travel to Kuala Lumpur, if they wished | Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines said it was working to provide relatives of those on board the flight visas and flights to enable them to travel to Kuala Lumpur, if they wished |
| "Malaysia Airlines' primary focus at this point in time is to care for the families," it said in a statement. "This means providing them with timely information, travel facilities, accommodation, meals, medical and emotional support. The costs for these are all borne by Malaysia Airlines." | "Malaysia Airlines' primary focus at this point in time is to care for the families," it said in a statement. "This means providing them with timely information, travel facilities, accommodation, meals, medical and emotional support. The costs for these are all borne by Malaysia Airlines." |