The Malaysian government has agreed to launch a new search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared 10 years ago in one of world’s greatest aviation mysteries.
The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014 while enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China. Efforts to locate the wreckage of the plane over the years proved abortive.
On Friday, the Malaysia’s transport ministers Anthony Loke said the cabinet approved in principle a $70M deal with US-based marine exploration firm Ocean Infinity to find the aircraft.
“The proposal for a search operation by Ocean Infinity is a solid one and deserves to be considered”, said Loke. “Our responsibility and obligation and commitment is to the next of kin. We hope this time will be positive, that the wreckage will be found and give closure to the families.”
In 2018, a search for the MH370 wreckage by Ocean Infinity ended unsuccessfully after three months. Before that, there was a previous search that lasted for three years but was suspended in 2017.
Loke says the new search will begin as soon as the contract is finalized and signed by both parties.
“They have informed us that the ideal time for the search in the designated waters is between January and April. We are working to finalize the agreement as quickly as possible”, Loke said.
The new search will reportedly cover a 15,000 sq km patch in the southern Indian Ocean, based on new data that Kuala Lumpur found to be “credible.”
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