EPA
New Search for MH370 Approved
The Malaysian government has given the green light for a renewed search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, nearly ten years after its disappearance.
This search will focus on a 15,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean and will be conducted under a “no find, no fee” agreement with the firm Ocean Infinity.
Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook announced that the company will be compensated $70 million (£56 million) if the wreckage is discovered.
Flight MH370 disappeared in 2014 with 239 individuals onboard while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The mystery surrounding its disappearance remains a significant issue for the victims’ families.
Previous Search Efforts
Despite various search efforts conducted over the years, no wreckage from the aircraft has been located. Past multinational searches, which cost around $150 million (£120 million), concluded in 2017 without success.
The governments of Malaysia, Australia, and China indicated that the search would resume only if credible new evidence was identified regarding the plane’s whereabouts.
An attempted search by Ocean Infinity in 2018 under similar conditions also yielded no results after three months.
Commitment to Continue the Search
In December, the Malaysian government tentatively agreed to restart the search, with final negotiations wrapping up in March. The latest approval by Malaysia allows the search operation to commence.
The transport minister reassured, “The government is dedicated to continuing the search operation and ensuring closure for the families of the MH370 passengers.”
Background on the Disappearance
Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, but communication was lost less than an hour into the flight. Radar data indicated that the plane veered off its planned route.
Investigators are largely in agreement that the aircraft likely crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, though the cause of the crash is still uncertain. Over the years, debris identified as belonging to the plane has been found washed ashore on various Indian Ocean beaches.
Families’ Reactions
The disappearance of the aircraft has led to various conspiracy theories, including claims of deliberate actions by the pilot or that it was shot down by military forces. An investigation from 2018 suggested that the aircraft’s controls were possibly manipulated to alter its course, but no definitive conclusions were drawn.
As the renewed search was discussed, family members of missing passengers gathered in Beijing, expressing frustration regarding the lack of communication from Malaysian authorities and hoping for more direct updates.
Ongoing Grief
Many grieving families demonstrated outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing on the anniversary of the flight’s disappearance, calling out, “Give us back our loved ones!” Cheng Liping, whose husband was on the flight, hopes for better communication between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur to uncover the truth regarding what happened to MH370.
The announcement of the new search received mixed responses from families of the passengers, with some viewing it as a step towards closure, while others found it bittersweet.
