Missing Malaysia plane: Search resumes off Vietnam Air traffic control lost contact with the Malaysia Airlines plane after leaving Kuala Lumpur Continue reading the main story Related Stories Hunt begins for clues Oil slick seen in missing jet hunt In pictures: Waiting for news The search is continuing for a Malaysia Airlines plane that has been missing for more than 24 hours. Marine rescue teams worked through the night to search the sea south of Vietnam, while the aerial mission resumed on Sunday morning. Flight MH370 disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, with 239 people on board. At a news briefing in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday morning, officials said there had been no sign of any wreckage. The rescue operations continue... and we have to report that we have not been able to locate anything, said Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, a representative of Malaysias civil aviation authority. There is nothing to report at this juncture. The passengers were of 14 different nationalities. Two-thirds were from China, while others were from elsewhere in Asia, North America and Europe. Pray for flight It has been reported that two passengers who were listed on the planes manifest - an Italian and an Austrian - were not actually on the flight. They both reportedly had their passports stolen in Thailand years ago. There has been intense media coverage in Beijing, angering some of the relatives Friends and relatives expecting to meet passengers from the flight in Beijing were taken to a nearby hotel The US Navy is sending the USS Pinckney, seen here in San Diego Bay, to help with the search Continue reading the main story At the scene Jennifer Pak BBC News, Kuala Lumpur All the TV monitors at the airport had signs that said Let us pray for flight MH370 highlighted in red. But distressed family members who were willing to speak to the media did not know much more after they spoke to officials. Malaysian authorities have been extremely careful about what they will reveal. It has left a lot of room for rumours and speculation on social media, a cause for more anxiety for family members. Continue reading the main story John Sudworth BBC News, Beijing The relatives and friends waiting to meet passengers from flight MH370 have been taken to the Lido Hotel, a short drive from Beijing Airports Terminal Three. Some are of course clearly very distressed and volunteers are providing them with support. But there have been complaints, and at least one angry outburst, about the lack of information from the airline. Weve waited for hours and theyve told us very few details, one man said. Some anger was also directed at journalists. In pictures: Missing Malaysia plane Hunt begins for clues Asked whether terrorism was suspected as a reason for the planes disappearance, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said: We are looking at all possibilities, but it is too early to make any conclusive remarks. In a statement, the airline urged all Malaysians and people around the world to pray for flight MH370. The plane vanished at 17:30 GMT Friday (01:30 local time Saturday). It reportedly went off the radar south of Vietnam. According to Malaysian Airlines, it last had contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu. Distraught relatives and loved ones of those on board are being given assistance at both the arrival and departure airports. Many have expressed anger at the lack of information. They should have told us something before now, a visibly distressed man in his thirties told AFP news agency at a hotel in Beijing where relatives are waiting. In Kuala Lumpur, Hamid Ramlan, a 56-year-old police officer, said his daughter and son-in-law had been on the flight for an intended holiday in Beijing. My wife is crying, he said. Everyone is sad. My house has become a place of mourning. This is Allahs will. We have to accept it. Unity of efforts The aerial search was suspended overnight but resumed on Sunday morning. Chinese airports have stepped up security in the wake of the incident, as John Sudworth reports Continue reading the main story Manifest for Flight MH370 153 Chinese including one child 38 Malaysians 7 Indonesians 6 Australians 5 Indians 4 French 3 Americans including one child 2 each from New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada One each from Russia, Taiwan, Italy, Netherlands and Austria ( although both Italy and Austria deny any of their nationals were onboard) Source: Malaysia Airlines Malaysia and Vietnam have both sent planes and naval vessels to look for the missing flight. The US is sending the USS Pinckney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, which could be in the area within 24 hours. Territorial disputes over the South China Sea were set aside temporarily as China dispatched two maritime rescue ships and the Philippines deployed three air force planes and three navy patrol ships. Singapore is also involved, while Vietnam sent aircraft and ships and asked fishermen in the area to report any suspected sign of the missing plane. Continue reading the main story Boeing 777 fact sheet Twin-engine jet launched in June 1995 One of the worlds most popular long-distance planes Seats between 300 and 380 passengers Has flown around five million flights Often used for non-stop flights of 16 hours or more In September 2001 a crew member died in a re-fuelling fire on a 777 at Denver International Airport In 2013 three Chinese women died when the 777 Asiana Flight 214 crashed in San Francisco In times of emergencies like this, we have to show unity of efforts that transcends boundaries and issues, said Lt Gen Roy Deveraturda, commander of the Philippine militarys Western Command. Texas firm Freescale Semiconductor says 20 of its Malaysian and Chinese employees were on the flight, according to a statement on its website. Vietnams air force earlier said it had spotted two possible oil slicks 190km (118 miles) from Malaysia, but there is no confirmation they are connected with the planes disappearance. Malaysias national carrier is one of Asias largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide. The route between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing has become more and more popular as Malaysia and China increase trade, says the BBCs Jennifer Pak in Kuala Lumpur. The Boeing 777 had not had a fatal crash in its 20-year history until an Asiana plane came down at San Francisco airport in July of last year. Three teenage girls from China died in that incident. Aviation expert David Learmount told the BBC that passenger planes today are incredibly reliable and you do not get some sudden structural failure in flight - it just doesnt happen.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 02:41:21 +0000
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