Latest developments
Follow us as we bring the latest updates and coverage for the search of Flight MH370:
Murderer tag is 'illogical'
3.30pm: Malaysians have started to voice their dissatisfaction over the accusations levelled against Malaysia over missing Flight MH370, by the foreign media as well as by families of Chinese national on board the plane, Bernama reports.
Among those quoted by the news agency is blogger Ibnu Khusairy who points out that theories postulated by foreign news organisations are not official statements.
A Universiti Malaya lecturer at the International and Strategic Studies Department Prof Mohamad Abu Bakar, meanwhile, is quoted saying that it is illogical for the Chinese to label the Malaysian government as murderers, and adds: “When did we kill passengers flying using our national airlines?”.
PM thanks Vietnam for aiding search
2.39pm: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today expresses the country's "sincere appreciation" towards Vietnam for help rendered in the search for flight MH370, dpa reports.
He says this during a press briefing with Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung.
This is Najib’s first official visit to Vietnam.
Concert now is 'insensitive'
2:18pm: PKR critcises Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Istana Budaya for going ahead with a concert amid the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 tragedy.
Penang PKR Youth secretary Mohd Izad Buqhary Mohd Kamri says the event entitled "Konsert Stanza Cinta" (Love Stanza Concert), set for April 4 and 5 at Istana Budaya, is insensitive to recent events.
"I ask that UUM and Istana Budaya reconsider their plan to organise the concern out of respect to the familiees and crew of MH370 who still do not know the fate of their loved ones," he says.
Malaysia's MH370 handling defended
11.20am: Asean leaders have risen to Malaysia's defence on the country's handling of the MH370 search operation, reportsBernama.
"We believe that Malaysia has done its level best in its response to this unprecedented predicament given the sheer scale of the search and rescue (SAR) operation, the biggest and most complex we've ever seen," they say in a joint statement of defence ministers.
The Asean group comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
JACC: We will not stop surface search
11.15am: Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who heads the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), gives a briefing on ongoing search operations. Here are some of the highlights:
Don't spin news, foreign media told
10.40am: Department of Information director-general Ibrahim Abdul Rahman defends Malaysia's handling of the MH370 crisis and tells foreign media not to "spin" news as tensions between families and the government continues to mount.
"We just hope that the foreign media [do] not overly spin this incident, so much so, it becomes negative and it will hurt the feelings of the next of kin... so just straight facts, for example," he is quoted as saying by Australian-based ABC News.
Contradictory information from the government has angered frustrated family members, the most recent after authorities release the full cockpit transcript before Flight MH370 went missing, which showed initial information released on the communication with tower controllers to be erroneous.
Ibrahim stressed that the incident is unprecedented with little concrete evidence for Malaysia to fall back on on except theories.
Ocean Shield arrives
10am: The towed pinger locator, which was on board Australian vessel Ocean Shield is now in the water, tweets CNN.
The pinger locator, loaned by the US Navy, is needed to locate the black box on Flight MH370.
It must do so fast, for the black box is only expected to function for another two days before its battery runs out, after which it will cease to release ping signals to help searchers locate the wreckage.
Meanwhile, ABC correspondent David Wright tweets that the Royal Navy coastal survey ship HMS Echo is also streaming underwater equipment to seek out the black box.
"HMS Echo also streaming similar array. This is the first time (we know of) that vessels will be searching under the H2O (water) #MH370,” reads his tweet.
Without wreckage, MAS open to suits
9:36am: Brisbane-based aviation lawyer Joseph Wheeler (right) says Malaysia Airlines (MAS) may be open to lawsuits involving significantly higher sums if the wreckage of Flight MH370 is not found.
He says under the Montreal Convention 1999, an airline is strictly liable to loss damages of up to XDR113,100 (about RM572,000) per passenger if it can prove that the loss was not due to its own negligence.
However, he argued that Malaysia Airlines cannot prove this without the wreckage and therefore can't fend off suits amounting to over RM572,000.
Read full story here.
Anwar believes gov't knows more on MH370
9.02am: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is accusing the government of hiding information.
“Unfortunately the manner in which this was handled after the first few days was clearly suspect... One fact remains. Clearly information critical to our understanding is deemed missing.
“I believe the government knows more than us. They have the authority to instruct the air force … or Malaysia Airlines. They are privy to most of these missing bits of information critical to our understanding of this mysterious disappearance of MH370," he was quoted as saying in an interview with UK-based The Telegraph.
Anwar reiterates that Malaysia's radar system which was purchased when he was deputy prime minister would have picked up Flight MH370 but the government failed to act.
He also criticises the government for allowing Vietnam and China to search in the wrong area in the early stages of search when attention was in the South China Sea.
JACC chief to hold news conference
8.30am: CNN quotes unnamed sources saying that JACC chief Angus Houston will be holding a "big" operations news conference later today.
It is unclear what would be announced at the press event.
At present several countries are involved in the search effort led by Australia, including Malaysia, US, UK, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Search persists
6am: Search in the Indian Ocean resumes with 10 military planes, four civil jets and nine ships, says the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), tasked with overseeing the search and recovery operations.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) has determined a search area of about 217,000km square kilometres, 1,700km north west of Perth.
Weather today is predicted to be fair with visibility of approximately 10km.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that according to the Australian Defence Force, the Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo will be conducting a specific search today, while Ocean Shield, fitted with a towed pinger locator, is due to arrive.
Four weeks and nothing to show for
5am: Exactly four weeks have passed since the search of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 began but there remains no trace of the plane.
Searchers are hoping for a breakthrough as the plane's approximately 30-day black box battery, which allows it to emit signals, may soon die.
Once the deadline reaches, the US-loaned pinger locator hydrophones on board the ADV Ocean Shield will be rendered useless and searchers will need to look at bringing in new equipment that rely on the old fashioned sonar signals.
Background
The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200ER aircraft went missing not long after taking off from KL International Airport in the early hours of March 8, with 12 crew members and 227 passengers.
Authorities have determined the plane intentionally turned back and altered its course shortly after cutting communications with tower controllers for unknown reasons.
Its whereabouts have now been narrowed to the southern Indian Ocean after employing "new analysis" methods to deduce the location based on six pings the aircraft sent out to British satellite communications provider Inmarsat.
- Asean leaders defend Putrajaya's crisis management.
- Underwater search commences with pinger locator.
- Anwar accuses Malaysian gov't of cover-up.
- Expert says MAS faces huge lawsuits if wreckage not found.
Follow us as we bring the latest updates and coverage for the search of Flight MH370:
Murderer tag is 'illogical'
3.30pm: Malaysians have started to voice their dissatisfaction over the accusations levelled against Malaysia over missing Flight MH370, by the foreign media as well as by families of Chinese national on board the plane, Bernama reports.
Among those quoted by the news agency is blogger Ibnu Khusairy who points out that theories postulated by foreign news organisations are not official statements.
A Universiti Malaya lecturer at the International and Strategic Studies Department Prof Mohamad Abu Bakar, meanwhile, is quoted saying that it is illogical for the Chinese to label the Malaysian government as murderers, and adds: “When did we kill passengers flying using our national airlines?”.
PM thanks Vietnam for aiding search
2.39pm: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today expresses the country's "sincere appreciation" towards Vietnam for help rendered in the search for flight MH370, dpa reports.
He says this during a press briefing with Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung.
This is Najib’s first official visit to Vietnam.
Concert now is 'insensitive'
2:18pm: PKR critcises Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Istana Budaya for going ahead with a concert amid the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 tragedy.
Penang PKR Youth secretary Mohd Izad Buqhary Mohd Kamri says the event entitled "Konsert Stanza Cinta" (Love Stanza Concert), set for April 4 and 5 at Istana Budaya, is insensitive to recent events.
"I ask that UUM and Istana Budaya reconsider their plan to organise the concern out of respect to the familiees and crew of MH370 who still do not know the fate of their loved ones," he says.
Malaysia's MH370 handling defended
11.20am: Asean leaders have risen to Malaysia's defence on the country's handling of the MH370 search operation, reportsBernama.
"We believe that Malaysia has done its level best in its response to this unprecedented predicament given the sheer scale of the search and rescue (SAR) operation, the biggest and most complex we've ever seen," they say in a joint statement of defence ministers.
The Asean group comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
JACC: We will not stop surface search
11.15am: Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who heads the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), gives a briefing on ongoing search operations. Here are some of the highlights:
- Malaysia has invited Australia to take a more official and enhanced status in the investigations on the missing plane.
- Confirms underwater search for the black box and wreckage has commenced. Australian vessel Ocean Shield, utilising the towed pinger locator, and UK’s HMS Echo, also equipped with devices to enable underwater search, are searching along a converging course on a 240km track.
- He reiterates that the world’s best experts have analysed the data and “groundbreaking” calculations on the plane’s likely final location and search area will continue to be fine-tuned as required.
However, he thinks “we are at the end of that process” and maintains that the analysis is the best evidence in search and recovery operations and “gives hope” of eventually locating the downed aircraft.
- He maintains that surface search will continue as debris found will narrow the search area significantly. He says there is “still a great possibility” of finding debris as there are many items in an aircraft that floats, such as life jackets.
- There is no plan to bring in another black-box pinger locator due to the scarcity of its availability and the length of time it would take for another to be brought in.
- Underwater search can still continue even after the locator beacon on the black box ceases to emit signals.
- Commits to continued search efforts, saying there is “still a long way to go” as searchers have yet to search all areas where the aircraft might have gone down.
- Will continue to rely on satellite findings on potential debris, but says to date, all previous findings have turned out to be objects other than part of the wreckage.
- Denies any country withheld information necessary for the search efforts, deeming the cooperation shown by all nations involved to be the “most effective” he has seen. “Every country wants to find that downed aircraft”.
Don't spin news, foreign media told
10.40am: Department of Information director-general Ibrahim Abdul Rahman defends Malaysia's handling of the MH370 crisis and tells foreign media not to "spin" news as tensions between families and the government continues to mount.
"We just hope that the foreign media [do] not overly spin this incident, so much so, it becomes negative and it will hurt the feelings of the next of kin... so just straight facts, for example," he is quoted as saying by Australian-based ABC News.
Contradictory information from the government has angered frustrated family members, the most recent after authorities release the full cockpit transcript before Flight MH370 went missing, which showed initial information released on the communication with tower controllers to be erroneous.
Ibrahim stressed that the incident is unprecedented with little concrete evidence for Malaysia to fall back on on except theories.
Ocean Shield arrives
10am: The towed pinger locator, which was on board Australian vessel Ocean Shield is now in the water, tweets CNN.
The pinger locator, loaned by the US Navy, is needed to locate the black box on Flight MH370.It must do so fast, for the black box is only expected to function for another two days before its battery runs out, after which it will cease to release ping signals to help searchers locate the wreckage.
Meanwhile, ABC correspondent David Wright tweets that the Royal Navy coastal survey ship HMS Echo is also streaming underwater equipment to seek out the black box.
"HMS Echo also streaming similar array. This is the first time (we know of) that vessels will be searching under the H2O (water) #MH370,” reads his tweet.
Without wreckage, MAS open to suits
9:36am: Brisbane-based aviation lawyer Joseph Wheeler (right) says Malaysia Airlines (MAS) may be open to lawsuits involving significantly higher sums if the wreckage of Flight MH370 is not found.He says under the Montreal Convention 1999, an airline is strictly liable to loss damages of up to XDR113,100 (about RM572,000) per passenger if it can prove that the loss was not due to its own negligence.
However, he argued that Malaysia Airlines cannot prove this without the wreckage and therefore can't fend off suits amounting to over RM572,000.
Read full story here.
Anwar believes gov't knows more on MH370
9.02am: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is accusing the government of hiding information.
“Unfortunately the manner in which this was handled after the first few days was clearly suspect... One fact remains. Clearly information critical to our understanding is deemed missing.“I believe the government knows more than us. They have the authority to instruct the air force … or Malaysia Airlines. They are privy to most of these missing bits of information critical to our understanding of this mysterious disappearance of MH370," he was quoted as saying in an interview with UK-based The Telegraph.
Anwar reiterates that Malaysia's radar system which was purchased when he was deputy prime minister would have picked up Flight MH370 but the government failed to act.
He also criticises the government for allowing Vietnam and China to search in the wrong area in the early stages of search when attention was in the South China Sea.
JACC chief to hold news conference
8.30am: CNN quotes unnamed sources saying that JACC chief Angus Houston will be holding a "big" operations news conference later today.It is unclear what would be announced at the press event.
At present several countries are involved in the search effort led by Australia, including Malaysia, US, UK, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Search persists
6am: Search in the Indian Ocean resumes with 10 military planes, four civil jets and nine ships, says the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), tasked with overseeing the search and recovery operations.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) has determined a search area of about 217,000km square kilometres, 1,700km north west of Perth.Weather today is predicted to be fair with visibility of approximately 10km.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that according to the Australian Defence Force, the Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo will be conducting a specific search today, while Ocean Shield, fitted with a towed pinger locator, is due to arrive.
Four weeks and nothing to show for
5am: Exactly four weeks have passed since the search of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 began but there remains no trace of the plane.
Searchers are hoping for a breakthrough as the plane's approximately 30-day black box battery, which allows it to emit signals, may soon die.Once the deadline reaches, the US-loaned pinger locator hydrophones on board the ADV Ocean Shield will be rendered useless and searchers will need to look at bringing in new equipment that rely on the old fashioned sonar signals.
Background
The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200ER aircraft went missing not long after taking off from KL International Airport in the early hours of March 8, with 12 crew members and 227 passengers.
Authorities have determined the plane intentionally turned back and altered its course shortly after cutting communications with tower controllers for unknown reasons.
Its whereabouts have now been narrowed to the southern Indian Ocean after employing "new analysis" methods to deduce the location based on six pings the aircraft sent out to British satellite communications provider Inmarsat.
No comments:
Post a Comment