Search for debris, objects linked to flight can go on for weeks, months

KUALA LUMPUR: After the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Monday, the search for concrete evidence is now focused on the southern part of the southern corridor in the Indian Ocean.

"What we have to do in the coming weeks and months is to look for the debris, framework and objects linked to MH370 so that we can confirm unequivocally that the flight went down in the southern Indian Ocean," Najib said.

The prime minister had announced Monday night that the flight path of the aircraft had "ended in the southern Indian Ocean".

In a special motion tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, Najib also recorded condolence to all the families, friends and acquaintances of the 227 passengers and 12 crew of Flight MH370 that disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

Najib said that though the real answer to the mystery of the lost aircraft could only be gleaned from the cockpit conversation recorded in the black box, a thorough investigation must be carried out in a professional manner and with commitment.

As a result of this new data analysis, the search and rescue operation in the northern corridor and northern part of the southern corridor, close to Indonesia, had been called off.

The northern corridor stretches from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand and the southern corridor, from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in a statement on Tuesday said the search for missing flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean has been suspended due to bad weather and rough seas.

It said the area was expected to experience waves of up to two metres and an associated swell of up to four metres, strong gale force winds of up to 80km per hour, periods of heavy rain, and low cloud with a ceiling between 60 and 150 metres.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said MAS had provided an initial financial assistance of US$5,000 (RM16,000) per passenger to the next-of-kin of passengers of Flight MH370.

Ahmad Jauhari said that since the disappearance of Flight MH370 on March 8, MAS' focus had been to comfort and support the families of those involved and support the multi-national search effort. 

Meanwhile, Inspector-general of police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police would not release any findings on the passengers and crew of the Boeing 777 plane, as it will jeopardise the ongoing investigation. 

He, however noted that the initial four areas of focus -- hijacking, sabotage, psychological and personal problems, had not changed.

Bernama