Malaysia says MH370 search must go on, 10 years after plane vanished

Malaysia is advocating for a renewed search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 as the 10th anniversary of its mysterious disappearance approaches. The Boeing 777 vanished on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board. Initial investigations didn’t rule out intentional diversion, and debris, confirmed and suspected, washed ashore in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that Ocean Infinity, a U.S. seabed exploration firm, has been invited to discuss its latest search proposal after two previous unsuccessful attempts. Malaysia engaged Ocean Infinity in 2018, offering up to $70 million for successful retrieval. Previous joint efforts by Malaysia, China, and Australia concluded in 2017 after a two-year, 200 million Australian dollars underwater search.

Loke expressed Malaysia’s commitment to the search, and discussions with Australia for potential collaboration would follow once Ocean Infinity’s proposal gains cabinet approval. Family members of the victims, while supportive of the search, acknowledged the need for realism and cost considerations. Chinese national Jiang Hui, who filed a lawsuit seeking compensation over the plane’s disappearance, urged Malaysia to maintain open communication with relatives and share any new information.

Source – CGTN