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Category: Disasters and Accidents / Air Transport

Malaysian Government withdraws reward to find MH370

Monday, 23 Jan 2017 11:31:04

Fugro Equator docked in Henderson, officially ending its search for missing Malaysia airline flight MH370. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)

The Malaysian Government has withdrawn its offer of a reward to find missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Key points:

  • Flight MH370 disappeared in March 2014 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing
  • A search of 120,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean's floor failed to find the jetliner
  • The investigation continues, though the underwater search has been called off

The three-year underwater search for the Boeing 777 that disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board has officially ended with the search vessel Fugro Equator docking in Fremantle today.

Transport Minister Darren Chester and his Malaysian counterpart Liow Tiong Lai went onboard the Fugro Equator to thank the crew.

"This has been an extraordinary search effort, it's been in some of the most inhospitable oceans in the world," Mr Chester said.

"There have been occasions during the underwater search where sea states in excess of 20 metres have been experienced by the crew.

"The search for MH370 has been at the very cutting edge of technology and scientific expertise, but also has been quite a heroic human endeavour."

Reward retracted

Last week the Malaysian Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the Government was open to credible private companies searching for the plane, and would reward any that found its fuselage.

The size of the reward had not been decided but today, Mr Liow said the statement had been a personal decision of the Deputy Minister.

Malaysian transport minister Liow Photo: Malaysian Minister for Transport Minster Liow said his government had never made a decision about offering a reward. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)

"The Government has not made any decision ... it was the Deputy Minister's personal view, not the Government's, we are not having any of the such decision," he said.

Investigation continues

The search covered an area of 120,000km2 and while some experts believe the plane is likely to be just outside the searched area, the investigation will now take a different turn.

"Work will continue in relation to further analysis of data and if any more debris comes forward, we'll work with our Malaysian counterparts in assessing debris of interest and work is also going on in terms of further analysis of satellite imagery," Mr Chester said.

Mr Liow thanked the crew, the Australian and Chinese governments for the help in the $200 million search effort, of which Australia contributed about $60 million.

"It is one of the biggest search missions launched ever in the aviation history of the world," Mr Liow said.

"We are very sad that we still couldn't locate the aircraft and we need to suspend the search for the time being to look for more credible evidence before we launch any more further search effort.

"We will analyse the data, whatever data we have now and from there we will look for more credible clues and credible evidence for us to study the situations in the future."

transport ministers onboard the Fugro Equator Photo: Malaysian and Australian Transport ministers left the Fugro Equator after thanking the crew. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)

Investigators have retrieved 25 pieces of debris, some of which are confirmed as being from the missing plane.

Mr Liow said his government would continue to work with countries along Southern Africa and the surrounding islands to retrieve more debris and then analyse ocean drift patterns.

Family response

Mr Chester said he had spoken with some of the families of the missing passengers last week.

"It is impossible for any of us to fully comprehend their grief and their suffering for over three years they have many unanswered questions and we haven't been able to provide them [answers] at this stage," he said.

"They have been deeply appreciative of the search effort, but understandably they're disappointed and saddened by the fact we haven't been able to find MH370.

"Just as I must acknowledge the professional staff from the ATSB, the crew on board the Fugro Equator here today ... they're disappointed we haven't been able to locate MH370 and its a disappointment I share with them."

The two Ministers are due to meet the families of the missing passengers today.

AustraliaPlus


 

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