Authorities were also searching on land in Malaysia and off western Malaysia.
FULL REPORT
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has expanded its search area for a missing jet after three days of scouring the sea failed to bring forth any confirmed sightings of wreckage, an official said Monday.
“The area of search has been expanded in the South China Sea,” Civil Aviation Department chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman 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’ – and not body recovery exercise – 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.
He added that besides searching in waters between Malaysia and Vietnam, authorities were also searching on land in Malaysia and off western Malaysia.
“We have not found anything that appears to be objects from the aircraft, let alone the aircraft,” he told a news conference – his third and last for the day.
“As far as we are concerned, we have to find the aircraft, we have to find a piece of the aircraft if possible,” he said.
The Malaysia Airlines flight with 239 people aboard lost contact with air controllers early Saturday.
Passengers with stolen passports
Azharuddin also clarified that the two passengers who boarded the plane with stolen passports were not Asian looking as had been identified earlier by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“We have looked and re-looked at the footage of the video and the photographs; it is confirmed now that they are not Asian-looking men,” said Azharuddin without elaborating further, stating that the matter was still under investigations.
He said investigators were looking into a new angle of stolen passport syndicates at work.
“Our priority is to find the plane now,” he stressed.
When pressed on the identities of the two passengers, the DCA chief avoided answering the question but gave an example of Italian footballer Mario Balotelli, who was born to immigrants from Ghana but had assumed the surname of his Italian foster parents.
Azharuddin however refused to confirm if the two passengers were of African origin.
Earlier the Inspector General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar said the police had identified one of the two suspected passengers, but did not make public his identity. He also said that passenger was a non-Malaysian.
Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein also promised the media to make available the photos of the two passengers as soon as the matter has been investigated by local and foreign intelligence agencies. Counter-terrorism agencies and the FBI are also assisting the investigation.
The Financial Times however exclusively reported today that the two passengers could be from the Middle East.
The daily quoted a Thai travel agent who had booked the tickets for the two passengers as saying that the tickets were arranged by an Iranian contact known only as ‘Mr Ali’.
In his press conference, Azharuddin also stressed that after studying the video footage (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.
FULL REPORT
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has expanded its search area for a missing jet after three days of scouring the sea failed to bring forth any confirmed sightings of wreckage, an official said Monday.
“The area of search has been expanded in the South China Sea,” Civil Aviation Department chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman 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’ – and not body recovery exercise – 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.
He added that besides searching in waters between Malaysia and Vietnam, authorities were also searching on land in Malaysia and off western Malaysia.
“We have not found anything that appears to be objects from the aircraft, let alone the aircraft,” he told a news conference – his third and last for the day.
“As far as we are concerned, we have to find the aircraft, we have to find a piece of the aircraft if possible,” he said.
The Malaysia Airlines flight with 239 people aboard lost contact with air controllers early Saturday.
Passengers with stolen passports
Azharuddin also clarified that the two passengers who boarded the plane with stolen passports were not Asian looking as had been identified earlier by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“We have looked and re-looked at the footage of the video and the photographs; it is confirmed now that they are not Asian-looking men,” said Azharuddin without elaborating further, stating that the matter was still under investigations.
He said investigators were looking into a new angle of stolen passport syndicates at work.
“Our priority is to find the plane now,” he stressed.
When pressed on the identities of the two passengers, the DCA chief avoided answering the question but gave an example of Italian footballer Mario Balotelli, who was born to immigrants from Ghana but had assumed the surname of his Italian foster parents.
Azharuddin however refused to confirm if the two passengers were of African origin.
Earlier the Inspector General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar said the police had identified one of the two suspected passengers, but did not make public his identity. He also said that passenger was a non-Malaysian.
Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein also promised the media to make available the photos of the two passengers as soon as the matter has been investigated by local and foreign intelligence agencies. Counter-terrorism agencies and the FBI are also assisting the investigation.
The Financial Times however exclusively reported today that the two passengers could be from the Middle East.
The daily quoted a Thai travel agent who had booked the tickets for the two passengers as saying that the tickets were arranged by an Iranian contact known only as ‘Mr Ali’.
In his press conference, Azharuddin also stressed that after studying the video footage (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.
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