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Missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: Did missing jet end up on dry land? Missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: Hunt for missing jet hampered by lack of international cooperation
(35 minutes later)
The hunt for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 moved inland today, as China confirmed it has started searching within its own borders for the stricken plane. Fears are growing that the hunt for missing Flight MH370 is being hampered by failures by many of the countries involved to work together on the search.
Huang Huikang, the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia, said that search and rescue operations in the Chinese territories of the northern corridor had begun, Xinhua news agency reported. 10 days after the aircraft disappeared, Thailand's military said yesterday that its radar detected a plane that may have been the Malaysia Airlines jet, minutes after its communications went down, but did not share the data earlier because officials “did not pay any attention to it” and were not specifically asked for it.
Mr Huang also confirmed that background checks on Chinese nationals did not uncover any evidence suggesting they were involved in hijacking or an act of terrorism against the plane. Air Vice Marshal Montol Suchookorn admitted Thai authorities could not be sure the aircraft picked up by the radar was the missing plane carrying 239 passengers and crew, but the new information raised further questions about the effectiveness of search efforts, which are being coordinated by Malaysian authorities.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei also told a briefing that China had deployed 20 satellites to search for the missing jetliner in Chinese territory which covers a northern corridor through which the aircraft could have flown. Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur at 12.40am Malaysian time on 8 March, destination Beijing. The plane’s transponder, which allows air traffic controllers to identify and track it, stopped communicating at 1.20am.
The developments come as news outlets in the Maldives reported a number of eyewitnesses claiming that they saw a "low-flying jumbo jet" pass near the islands in the early hours of 8 March. At 1.28am, Thai military radar “was able to detect a signal, which was not a normal signal, of a plane flying in the direction opposite from the MH370 plane,” back toward Kuala Lumpur, Montol said. The plane later turned right, towards the Malacca strait.
"I've never seen a jet flying so low over our island before," a witness told the Haveeru news website. When asked why it took so long to release the information, Montol said "…we did not pay any attention to it. The Royal Thai Air Force only looks after any threats against our country," adding that Malaysia's initial request for information in the early days of the search was not specific.
"We've seen seaplanes, but I'm sure that this was not one of those. I could even make out the doors on the plane clearly. Relatives desperate for information on the fate of loved ones on board the missing jet have reportedly threatened to go on hunger strike if the authorities in Kuala Lumpur are not more forthcoming.
"It's not just me either, several other residents have reported seeing the exact same thing. Some people got out of their houses to see what was causing the tremendous noise too." “What we want is the truth,” one woman said, after a meeting with Malaysian authorities, according to the BBC. “Don’t let the passengers become the victims of a political fight.”
In a news conference earlier today, the official leading the hunt for missing Flight MH370 confirmed the search for the aircraft and its 239 passengers and crew now covers an area of more than 2.2million nautical square miles. At least 25 countries are involved in the operation. Yet there still remains not a single physical trace of the plane or the people who boarded 11 days ago. Speaking yesterday, the official leading the hunt for missing Flight MH370 dismissed criticism voiced by officials in China and the US that Malaysia had itself been reluctant to share information with foreign governments. He said such was the desire to find the plane, that Malaysia had shared information with other countries that could potentially weaken its national security.
A week-and-a-half after the Boeing 777 disappeared shortly after it set off on route for Beijing, officials said they were still searching along two arcs that cut north and south through swathes of Asia. It is believed that it was from somewhere along this line that the final satellite signal from the plane was sent. Amid speculation about which way the plane might have turned, officials say both areas remain equally important to investigators. “The entire search area is now 2.24 million square nautical miles. This is an enormous search area,” said Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein. “And it is something that Malaysia cannot possibly search on its own. I am therefore very pleased that so many countries have come forward to offer assistance and support to the search and rescue operation.”
“The entire search area is now 2.24m square nautical miles. This is an enormous search area,” said Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein. “And it is something that Malaysia cannot possibly search on its own. I am therefore very pleased that so many countries have come forward to offer assistance and support to the search and rescue operation.” The search now covers more than 2.2 million nautical square miles – an area the size of Australia. At least 25 countries are involved in the operation. Yet there still remains not a single physical trace of the plane or the people who boarded eleven days ago.
Officials were last night still searching along two arcs that cut north and south through swathes of Asia. It is believed that it was from somewhere along this line that the final “ping” satellite signal from the plane was sent. Amid speculation about which way the plane might have turned, officials say both areas remain equally important to investigators.
Mr Hussein spoke as investigators continued to focus attention on both the passengers and crew of the plane, searching for any clues as to who may have been responsible for diverting the jet off course. Over the weekend, officials said they believed the actions of the plane as it veered from its planned route and turned sharply West, were consistent with the intentional action of someone onboard.Mr Hussein spoke as investigators continued to focus attention on both the passengers and crew of the plane, searching for any clues as to who may have been responsible for diverting the jet off course. Over the weekend, officials said they believed the actions of the plane as it veered from its planned route and turned sharply West, were consistent with the intentional action of someone onboard.
Mr Hussein said Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea were sending additional hardware to search in the massive southern Indian ocean. He said he had also spoken with US defence secretary Chuck Hagel, given the US’s search and rescue capabilities. He said he had also spoken with his counterparts in China, which had also vowed to help search in China itself and along the so-called southern corridor. Mr Hussein said Aust ralia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea were sending additional hardware to search in the massive southern Indian ocean. He said he had also spoken with US defence secretary Chuck Hagel, given the US’s search and rescue capabilities. He said he had also spoken with his counterparts in China, which had also vowed to help search in China itself and along the so-called southern corridor.
The minister dismissed criticism voiced by officials in both China and the US that Malaysia had been reluctant to share information with foreign governments. He said such was the desire to find the plane, that Malaysia had shared information with other countries that could potentially weaken its national security. Meanwhile, checks into the background of the more than 150 Chinese citizens on board the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner have uncovered no links to terrorism, the Chinese ambassador in Kuala Lumpur said.
More than 150 of the passengers on board the plane were from China. Such is the level of anguish among the relatives of the passengers – desperate for a solid piece of information about what may have happened to their loved ones – that on Tuesday they reportedly threatened to go on hunger strike if the authorities in Kuala Lumpur were not more forthcoming.
“What we want is the truth,” one woman said, after a meting with Malaysian authorities, according to the BBC. “Don’t let the passengers become the victims of a political fight.”
Meanwhile, checks into the background of the Chinese citizens on board the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner have uncovered no links to terrorism, the Chinese ambassador in Kuala Lumpur said Tuesday.
The remarks will dampen speculation that Uighur Muslim separatists in far western Xinjiang province might have been involved with the disappearance of the jet.The remarks will dampen speculation that Uighur Muslim separatists in far western Xinjiang province might have been involved with the disappearance of the jet.
Malaysian police have searched the homes of the captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, and first officer, Fariq Abdul Hamid, who is aged 27. Among the items taken for examination was a flight simulator Mr Zaharie had built in his home.
Reports said that among the runways programmed into the device were locations in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and the British islands of Diego Garcia. While the men remain under investigation, officials have said they have found nothing incriminating.
On Sunday it was revealed that the final message sent to air traffic controllers from the jet's cockpit - “ All right, good night” - was spoken after someone on board had already disabled the plane's ACARS reporting system.
That conversation between air traffic controllers and the cockpit took place at 1.19am as officials warned the pilots they were about to leave Malaysian airspace on route to Beijing. The response “All right, good night,” apparently came from Hamid, the co-pilot.
Mr Hussein, the Transport Minister, said officials were aware of the vast area they were having to search and were working with other countries and agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration to try and narrow the search.
“Now we are saying we are trying to reduce the area. We can relook at the data we have some friends who already have radar data. Both areas remain a priority.”
At least 26 countries are now assisting in the search for the plane, intensifying challenges of co-ordinating ground, sea and aerial efforts.At least 26 countries are now assisting in the search for the plane, intensifying challenges of co-ordinating ground, sea and aerial efforts.
Additional reporting by agenciesAdditional reporting by agencies