Malaysia Approves New Search for MH370 Wreckage in Indian Ocean
Malaysia has initiated a new search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 wreckage, covering 15,000 square kilometers in the Indian Ocean. Under a ‘no find, no fee’ agreement with Ocean Infinity, $70 million is offered for locating wreckage. The plane vanished in 2014, prompting ongoing distress for families, and despite previous extensive searches, no wreckage has been conclusively identified.
The Malaysian Cabinet has sanctioned a renewed search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, over ten years after its mysterious disappearance. This search will span an area of 15,000 square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean, under a performance-based contract with Ocean Infinity, which entails a payment of $70 million if the wreckage is located, as announced by Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook.
Flight MH370 went missing in March 2014 while on its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 individuals aboard. The incident remains one of aviation’s greatest mysteries, causing ongoing distress to the families of the passengers. Despite extensive searches over the years, including a costly multinational effort that concluded without success in 2017, no debris has been definitively linked to the flight.
Officials from Malaysia, Australia, and China have stated that the search will recommence only if credible new evidence about the aircraft’s location surfaces. A previous search by Ocean Infinity in 2018 under similar terms proved fruitless after three months. Malaysia’s government expressed a commitment to the search in December, and final negotiations were concluded in March, culminating in Wednesday’s approval.
On the fateful day of March 8, 2014, Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur and lost communication with air traffic control less than an hour later. The aircraft subsequently veered off its designated flight path, leading investigators to conclude it likely crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. Although pieces of debris presumed to be from the aircraft have been discovered along Indian Ocean shores over the years, the precise cause of the crash remains unsettled.
Conspiracy theories surrounding the disappearance have included claims of deliberate pilot action and potential military engagement. An inquiry in 2018 posited that someone likely manipulated the plane’s controls to divert it from its route, but definitive conclusions were elusive without the wreckage being recovered. The announcement of the renewed search garnered mixed reactions from the families of those on board, with some seeing it as a pathway to closure while others expressed a bittersweet sentiment.
In conclusion, the Malaysian government has initiated a new search for the wreckage of MH370, signifying a renewed commitment to providing answers to the families impacted by this enduring aviation mystery. The search will proceed under a performance-based agreement, focusing on a substantial area in the Indian Ocean. Despite previous unsuccessful efforts and lingering conspiracy theories, this renewed endeavor brings hope to many for resolution.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
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