Long search looms for Malaysia jet: US naval officer

A senior US naval officer has suggested that the search for the ill-fated missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 could take years.

US Navy Captain Mark Matthews told journalists at Stirling Naval Base near the Australian city of Perth that lack of information about where the plane has gone down seriously hampers the ability to find it.

“Right now the search area is basically the size of the Indian Ocean, which would take an untenable amount of time to search,” media outlets quoted Matthews as saying.

The remarks come after Chinese and Australian ship failed to identify debris from the missing flight in the Indian Occasion

Chief of the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center, He Jianzhong, also said that the international effort had not found any objects linked to the missing plane.

Australia, which is coordinating the search in the southern Indian Ocean, said it has established a new body to oversee the investigation. The search operations for possible debris from the plane have been expanded.

Meanwhile, Malaysian officials have cancelled their daily update on the search operation of the missing jets. This comes as the relatives of Chinese passengers from the missing plane are in Kuala Lumpur seeking answers from authorities.

The Chinese relatives have held a press conference in the Malaysian capital, complaining that they have not been given enough information on the fate of their loved ones. Flight MH370 had over 150 Chinese passengers onboard.

The families are now accusing the Malaysian authorities of withholding information about what happened to the plane. They are demanding to meet with Malaysia’s prime minister and transport minister face to face.

Now with every day passing, the suspicion deepens over the March 8 disappearance of the plane destined for China with 239 people onboard.