SEPANG, March 10 (Bernama) -- Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman has confirmed that two male passengers using stolen passports and travelling onboard the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) aircraft which went missing early Saturday, did not bear Asian characteristics.
"We have looked and re-looked at all the footages, they are not Asian-looking men," he told hundreds of foreign and local reporters who packed the press conference -- the last briefing from the Malaysian authorities Monday.
Azharrudin declined to answer when asked by a journalist whether the men were African-looking, saying that the matter was under investigation by security experts.
He also stressed that after studying the video footages (from closed-circuit television cameras) from the departure area, all security protocol was complied.
"The team of investigators is looking into the matter. All security protocol has been complied. There is a possibility of a stolen passport syndicate," he said.
Azharuddin said the operation to search for the missing Boeing 777-200 was expanded from 50 nautical miles to 100 nautical radius within the Igari sea area and up to North Sumatra by land.
He said the operation which was still termed as 'search and rescue operation' after entering its third day, was conducted "block by block".
"Ships and aircraft are assigned to cover each block. Subsequently, we will expand further," he added.
There are two major search areas currently being conducted. One is the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia while the other is the Melaka Strait.
The next press conference from the authorities will be held tomorrow at 10am.
The Beijing-bound MAS Flight MH370, ferrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members, went missing about an hour after taking off from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12.41am Saturday.
It was scheduled to have landed in Beijing at 6.30am.
"We have looked and re-looked at all the footages, they are not Asian-looking men," he told hundreds of foreign and local reporters who packed the press conference -- the last briefing from the Malaysian authorities Monday.
Azharrudin declined to answer when asked by a journalist whether the men were African-looking, saying that the matter was under investigation by security experts.
He also stressed that after studying the video footages (from closed-circuit television cameras) from the departure area, all security protocol was complied.
"The team of investigators is looking into the matter. All security protocol has been complied. There is a possibility of a stolen passport syndicate," he said.
Azharuddin said the operation to search for the missing Boeing 777-200 was expanded from 50 nautical miles to 100 nautical radius within the Igari sea area and up to North Sumatra by land.
He said the operation which was still termed as 'search and rescue operation' after entering its third day, was conducted "block by block".
"Ships and aircraft are assigned to cover each block. Subsequently, we will expand further," he added.
There are two major search areas currently being conducted. One is the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia while the other is the Melaka Strait.
The next press conference from the authorities will be held tomorrow at 10am.
The Beijing-bound MAS Flight MH370, ferrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members, went missing about an hour after taking off from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12.41am Saturday.
It was scheduled to have landed in Beijing at 6.30am.
No comments:
Post a Comment