Kuala Lumpur, Dec 20 (EFE).- The Malaysian government announced on Friday that it has given the green light to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared with 239 people in the Indian Ocean in March 2014.
(FILE) Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke (2-R) arrives for a press conference in Putrajaya, Malaysia, 24 May 2018. EFE-EPA/AHMAD YUSNI
In a press conference, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said he was negotiating an agreement for the British exploration company Ocean Infinity to take over the search for the wreckage of the plane in an area located 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) west of Australia.
Loke described Ocean Infinity’s information on the possible location of the plane as “credible” and added that he hoped to finalize an agreement in early 2025 after specifying the conditions.
“This endeavor will be based on the ‘no find, no fee’ principle. Under this principle, the Malaysian government will not be required to pay Ocean Infinity unless the wreckage of the aircraft is discovered,” the minister said in the appearance broadcast on Malaysian television.
“This decision reflects the government’s commitment to continuing the search operation and providing closure for the families of MH370 passengers,” he added.
Flight MH370 disappeared on Mar. 8, 2014 about 40 minutes after taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing, when it left Malaysian airspace and entered Vietnam’s airspace and deviated from its route to the southern Indian Ocean.
On board the Boeing 777 were 153 Chinese, 50 Malaysians – 12 of them crew members -, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French, three Americans, two New Zealanders, two Ukrainians, two Canadians, one Russian, one Dutchman, one Taiwanese and two Iranians.
Initially, Malaysia, China and Australia carried out a joint search across some 120,000 square kilometers (46,332 square miles) in the Indian Ocean, but ended the operations in January 2017 when they did not find the wreckage.
Ocean Infinity also tried to locate the plane in an area of 25,000 square kilometers between January and June 2018 without success. EFE
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