The Malaysian government may reopen its search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 a decade after it went missing over the Indian Ocean.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Sunday he has invited U.S. technology firm Ocean Infinity to evaluate new evidence that could shed light on the plane’s disappearance. The company would operate under the same terms as in its 2018 search, expanding on the area covered back then and only seeking payment if the wreckage is found.
MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, on its way from Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The Boeing 777 was carrying 239 people, most of them Chinese nationals, along with citizens of Malaysia, Australia, India and other nations.
The plane dropped off from radar shortly after takeoff and satellite data later showed it veering off course. From there it most likely crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, investigators surmised at the time. Terrorism was suspected and military radar indicated it may have been purposely turned around. Questions were also raised about the pilot’s mental health.
A years-long search was inconclusive, and although some debris washed up onto the east African coast and some Indian Ocean islands, nothing definitive was ever found. The incident led to more aviation-safety measures and has remained among the most confounding mysteries in flight history.
If the new evidence offered by Ocean Infinity seems solid enough to follow up on, Loke said he’d request approval from the Cabinet to sign a new contract with the company. Heartbroken families have never stopped longing for closure.
“The government is steadfast in our resolve to locate MH370,” Loke said at an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the jet’s disappearance. “We really hope the search can find the plane and provide truth to the next-of-kin.”
“No matter if it is 10 years, 20 years or more, as long as we are still alive … we will not cease to press for the truth,” said Bai Zhong, who is from China and whose wife was a passenger. “We believe the truth will eventually come to light.”
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