BEIJING: Malaysia Airlines is investigating claims that the mobile phone of a passenger on the missing MH 370 flight rang when his brother called from Beijing.
A MAS representative confirmed that the brother told them it rang three times yesterday morning before appearing to hang up.
However, Ignatius Ong, a member of MAS senior management team, said the number had been passed to the airline’s command office in Kuala Lumpur, the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia and governments of both nations for further investigation but all attempts to call the number had failed.
“I myself have called the number five times while the airline’s command centre also called the number. We got no answering tone,” Ong told a press conference here yesterday.
According to media reports, the brother had dialled the number in the presence of reporters and then informed the airline.
A phone company in Singapore said its initial investigation had shown the number was out of credit.
The press conference was held at the Beijing Lido Hotel, where more than 100 relatives of the Chinese passengers on the flight have been anxiously waiting for information.
MAS has informed relatives that if they wanted to go to Malaysia, it will make efforts to assist them, Ong said, adding that the airline had begun to arrange for the first batch of relatives to set out for Malaysia.
The carrier is in communication with the Malaysian and Chinese governments to assist relatives with the first departure expected today, Xinhua news agency reported.
The airline has negotiated with Malaysian authorities to accelerate visa application procedures, Ong added, but only two direct relatives of each passenger will be allowed on the first flight due to limited seat numbers.
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