Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says new data confirms that missing Malaysian Airline flight 370 ended journey in southern Indian Ocean. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
Sad end ... distraught relatives react to the news the plane went down. Picture: Goh Chai Hin/AFP Source: AFP
As it has unfolded, the mystery of missing flight MH370 and the incredible twists and turns in world news coverage.
THE search and recovery operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean will resume tomorrow.
"A visual search will resume tomorrow when the weather is expected to improve after gale force winds and heavy swells resulted in the suspension of the search operation on Tuesday," AMSA said tonight.
As many as 12 aircraft are expected to be involved in the search tomorrow, including seven military aircraft and five civil aircraft.
HMAS Success will return to the search area and conduct a surface sweep of an area identified on Monday afternoon by a Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion as the location for several objects of interest.
A total of six countries are now assisting in the search — Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.
India has also offered to join the search and recovery operation.
China's polar supply ship Xue Long (Snow Dragon) and three other Chinese ships are expected to arrive in the search area on Wednesday.
Devastated ... Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, left, speaks during a press conference as Nor Yusof, chairman of Malaysia Airlines listens at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Vincent Thian Source: AP
Malaysian authorities say the search in the northern corridor has been called off.
Hishammuddin Hussein, Minister of Defence and Acting Minister of Transport, said the new analysis by Inmarsat, AAIB and the international investigation team had convinced authorities that MH370 flew along the southern corridor and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean west of Perth.
"As a result of this new data analysis the search and rescue operation in the northern corridor has been called off," he said.
"We've also stopped the search and rescue operation in the northern part of the southern corridor, close to Indonesia.
"All search efforts are now focused in the southern part of the southern corridor in an area covering some 469,407 square nautical miles and this is as against 2.24 million square nautical miles which was announced on March 18."
Mr Hussein said sometime between 0011 UTC and 0115 UTC the aircraft was no longer able to communicate with the ground station.
"0011 UTC last complete handshake too place. I must emphasise this is not the final position of the aircraft," he said.
"There is evidence of a partial handshake between the aircraft and the ground station at 0019 UTC. At this time this transmission is not understood and is subject to further ongoing work.
"No response was received from the aircraft t 0115 UTC when the ground station sent the next log on log off message. This indicated the aircraft was no longer logged on to the network.
"Therefore sometime between 0011UTC and 0115 UTC the aircraft was no longer able to communicate with the ground station. This is consistent with the max endurance of the aircraft."
Mr Hussein said he "presumes" any debris discovered in the Australian search area will be brought to Australian soil.
'WE'RE PRAYING FOR PASSENGERS AND CREW'
The CEO of Malaysia Airlines says the airline has extended its prayers to the families of the 239 passengers on board missing Flight MH370.
Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said he was devastated the passengers didn't make it to their destination alive.
"We do not know why, we do not know how this terrible tragedy happened. But as MAS family, we all praying for passengers & crew of MH370," he told a media conference in Kuala Lumpur.
The airline was criticised for informing relatives by text message that the plane had crashed, but the CEO said they did so as they wanted the families to hear the news before the rest of the world.
Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said all next-of-kin relatives had been paid $5000. He said the Australian Government would only grant visas to relatives once evidence of the plane had been found.
Asked if he would resign, he said it was a personal decision, and it would be taken later.
In Beijing, hundreds of angry protesters, many of them relatives of passengers, gathered at the Malaysian embassy to demonstrate against the Malaysia's handling of the disaster.
The search effort for wreckage from the lost airliner will be boosted with the arrival of a South Korean C-130 Hercules transport and P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft at the RAAF's Pearce base near Perth.
Furious ... Chinese relatives walk towards the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, China, where hundreds of protesters gathered to demand answers from Malaysian authorities about the fate of the flight. Picture: Lintao Zhang Source: Getty Images
The hunt for debris was suspended earlier due to bad weather as huge seas slammed the search area.
At midday today the sea state was estimated at between six and seven on the World Meteorological Organisation chart and that means waves of between four and nine metres.
Such conditions make finding or retrieving any debris virtually impossible and they increase the risk of wreckage sinking under the weight of the waves.
"Due to rough seas, HMAS Success departed the search area early this morning and is now in transit south of the search area until seas abate," the Australian Maritime Safety Authority advised this morning.
"The area is also forecast to experience strong gale force winds of up to 80km/h, periods of heavy rain, and low cloud with a ceiling between 200 and 500 feet."
AMSA said conducting the search in such conditions would be hazardous and pose a risk to crews.
This morning, AMSA stated that search operations were "expected to resume tomorrow, if weather conditions permit", but if conditions continue to deteriorate it could be several days before the search is resumed.
The suspension comes after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed that a new analysis of satellite data showed that the missing plane plunged into the Indian Ocean, presumably killing all those on board.
The cause of the incident remains unknown, although there are increasing suggestions that pilot suicide may have been to blame.
Search suspended ... this satellite image shows severe tropical cyclone Gillian off the Western Australian coast. Credit: Bureau of Meteorology Source: Supplied
Mr Najib said the Inmarsat satellite company had taken advantage of a never-before used technology and found that MH370 flew along the southern corridor.
"Its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean west of Perth," he said 17 days after MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.
Search mission ... the crew of an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft during the search yesterday. Picture: Richard Wainwright Source: Getty Images
The United States Navy is also sending a deep-sea drone to help in the search for the emergency signals that should be being emitted by MH370's 'black boxes'. These signals are supposed to be automatically activated in the event of a crash.
The Bluefin 21 drone is designed to be flown to areas of need before being towed behind a ship at depths where it is still enough and quiet enough to hear the "pings".
The search for the missing Boeing 777 is taking place in a section of the southern Indian Ocean known as the "Roaring Forties" for the strong westerly winds that blow between latitude 40 degrees and 50 degrees.
University of New South Wales oceanographer Dr Erik van Sebille said the area was characterised by cold fronts that sweep east every four to five days, causing pounding 6m waves and churning up the icy seas.
"This is the beginning of the roaring 40s, where the influence of the Antarctic continent starts," he said.
"The winds become very strong, the water temperature is about 4 degrees and the waves are very high."
REACTION: Sadness touches all in Malaysia
GALLERY: The search for MH370
Satellite data has confirmed flight MH370 carrying 239 people crashed into the southern Indian Ocean.
FORMULA ONE CONCERT CANCELLED 'AS A SIGN OF RESPECT'
A concert to mark Malaysia's Formula One Grand Prix weekend which was set to feature US star Christina Aguilera has been cancelled due to a passenger jet crash, its sponsor said.
State oil company Petronas, which sponsors the Mercedes F1 racing team and the annual concert, said it called off the show as "a sign of respect to the families and next-of-kin of the crew and passengers of flight MH370".
Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the Malaysia Airlines flight, which went missing on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard, had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean.
The concert was to be held Friday and Saturday at the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers and feature Aguilera, Korean star Rain and R & B musician Craig David.
"It is truly a tragedy and we are deeply saddened about the crew and passengers of flight MH370," said a statement by Petronas on the concert's Facebook page.
Formula One organisers were to meet later today to discuss a possible tribute to victims at this weekend's event.
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, who arrived in the Malaysian capital earlier, said on Twitter that "all my prayers go to friends & families of the passengers on # MH370".
Malaysia will also host a EurAsia Cup golf tournament and the prestigious Laureus sports awards this week.
Laureaus World Sports Academy, which will honour last year's top sports figures Wednesday, said it would have a reduced program because of the disaster.
Academy chairman Edwin Moses said a football friendly between past greats would be dedicated to those hit by the disaster
FAMILIES INFORMED BY TEXT MESSAGE
Malaysia Airlines informed the relatives of MH370 passengers of the news via SMS message.
"Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived ... we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean," the text stated.
At the press conference, Mr Najib confirmed the worst fears of passengers' families.
"This is a remote location far from any possible landing sites," he said.
Informed by text message ... grieving relatives after being told the news. Picture: Goh Chai Hin Source: AFP
"It is therefore with deep sadness that I regret that I must inform you that according to this new data that MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.
"The past few weeks have been heartbreaking. I know this news must be harder still."
The announcement was greeted with an outpouring of grief by the relatives of passengers.
The loved-ones of Chinese passengers, who made up the majority of travellers on the flight, were called to a hotel near the airport in Beijing to hear the announcement. Afterwards, they filed out of a conference room grief-stricken.
One woman collapsed and fell on her knees, crying "My son! My son!"
Heartbreak ... a relative of a passenger on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries after hearing the news that the plane plunged into the Indian Ocean. Picture: Goh Chai Hin/AFP Source: AFP
MH370: Copilot's first 777 flight without a minder
ANALYSIS: Recovery operation will stretch Australia's capabilities
ANGER FROM FAMILIES
A statement purporting to be from families of the passengers denounced the airline, the Malaysian government and the military as "the real executioners".
"From March 8 when they announced that MH370 lost contact to today, 18 days have passed during which the Malaysian government and the military constantly tried to delay, deceive the passengers' families and cheat the whole world," the statement read in part.
"We will take every possible means to pursue the unforgivable crimes and responsibility of all three (the airline, government and military)."
The veracity of the statement has not yet been verified.
It refers to 154 passengers who died, suggesting that the statement has been made on behalf of the victims of the families of the Chinese passengers only.
Most of the relatives refused to speak to gathered reporters and some lashed out in anger, urging journalists not to film the scene. Security guards restrained a man with close-cropped hair as he kicked a TV cameraman and shouted, "Don't film. I'll beat you to death!"
The daughter of MH370's chief steward Andrew Nari sent Twitter messages after the news broke. Maira Elizabeth Nari said: "I just don't know what to say about it. :')
In another message, she wrote: "I don't know what to say to all of you, but thank you so much for the support. To my closest friends, thank you. God bless all of you! :') x"
The airline said it would transport families to Perth if parts of the plane are found. It said the "ongoing multinational search operation will continue as we seek answers to the questions which remain''.
Bearer of bad news ... Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak during his press conference. Picture: Joshua Paul/AP Source: AP
THEORY: Was MH370 on a suicide mission?
TOURISM: Has MH370 changed perceptions about Malaysia?
HAND OVER DATA, CHINA TELLS MALAYSIA
China has demanded that Malaysia hand over the satellite data which led to its judgment that missing flight MH370 crashed at sea and that none on board survived.
In a meeting late Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng asked Malaysia's Ambassador to China, Iskandar Bin Sarudin, to provide the "detailed evidence'' that led to the conclusion, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
"We demand the Malaysian side to state the detailed evidence that leads them to this judgment as well as supply all the relevant information and evidence about the satellite data analysis,'' Xie said, according to a statement on the ministry's website.
"The search and rescue work cannot stop now, we demand the Malaysian side to continue to finish all the work including search and rescue,'' Xie said.
Grief and anger ... a relative of one of the Chinese passengers reacts after being told of the latest news. Picture: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Source: AP
END OF UNCERTAINTY
The news ends weeks of uncertainty over the fate of the passenger jet, although there is still no clear answer as to how or why the plane went down.
Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the announcement by the Malaysian PM moved the search to a "new phase".
"It moves it to a stage where we are now investigating an accident," he told reporters in Parliament House.
Mr Truss said "new decisions" will have to be made about the future of operations now and that Malaysia needs to take control of investigations under the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
He admitted "not a lot of progress" was made overnight and given the weather, there will be further setbacks in the search today.
Radar watch ... crew on board an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft search for signs. Picture: Richard Wainwright Source: AP
MASTHEADS REMEMBER VICTIMS
Malaysian newspapers ran striking black front pages on Tuesday in tribute to the victims.
Malaysia's biggest English-language daily, The Star, ran a stark wraparound cover emblazoned with the words "MH370 R.I.P.'' The names of the victims, rendered in small print, made up the letters of the headline.
The New Straits Times' darkened front page showed an aircraft above the words "Goodnight, MH370'' - a reference to the last message from the cockpit, "All right, good night'', before the Malaysia Airlines jet lost contact on March 8.
Malay and Chinese-language papers also ran front pages with black backgrounds, while The Sun, an English-language daily, changed its masthead to black.
The Star said in an editorial that the relatives' "long wait for some form of closure has finally arrived''.
But it called for unsparing efforts to establish the reasons for the crash.
On social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, many Malaysians turned their profile backgrounds black or displayed a plane icon in tribute to the victims.
Waiting out the storm ... the HMAS Success, pictured from an RAAF AP-3C Orion on Monday. Picture: Department of Defence / Leading Seaman Justin Brown Source: AFP
'WE WILL WELCOME FAMILIES': ABBOTT
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said family members of those on board will be embraced if they want to travel to Australia during the search effort.
"This has been a desperately difficult time for thousands and thousands of people right around the globe, particularly in China as well as in Malaysia," the Prime Minister told reporters in Canberra.
"I understand that the loved ones of those on that plane may well wish to come to Australia in coming days and weeks; they will find a welcoming country that is more than willing to embrace them in this very difficult time," he said.
Australia played a key role in identifying the southern Indian Ocean as the most likely crash site.
On March 16, an Australian satellite image picked up what appeared to be debris of about 24 metres in length in the area. A Chinese satellite spotted further debris 120km away two days later.
The confirmation the plane went down came after Prime Minster Tony Abbott announced that two "objects" were located by an RAAF spotter plane. Mr Abbott told Parliament the first object was grey or green and circular and the second was orange and rectangular. Experts believe the orange items could possibly be life rafts.
TIMING: Disaster film shelved
Tough assignment ... a crewmen of an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft looks out from an observation window. Picture: Richard Wainwright/Getty Images Source: Getty Images
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Search for MH370 debris to resume
Dengan url
http://kelapapantai.blogspot.com/2014/03/search-for-mh370-debris-to-resume.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Search for MH370 debris to resume
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Search for MH370 debris to resume
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar