Flight MH370 ended in Southern Indian Ocean: Malaysian PM

Updated: 2014-03-24 22:02

(Agencies/chinadaily.com.cn)

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says a new analysis of satellite data indicates the missing Malaysia Airlines plane plunged into a remote corner of the Indian Ocean.

"This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean," said Razak.

The news is a major breakthrough in the unprecedented two-week struggle to find out what happened to Flight 370, which disappeared shortly after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew aboard on March 8.

Dressed in a black suit, Najib announced the news "with deep sadness and regret" in a brief news conference late Monday night.

He said Malaysia Airlines has informed the families of passengers of the plane's fate.

Najib said the information was based on an unprecedented analysis of satellite data from Inmarsat.

The updates happened the same day as Australian officials announced they had spotted two "suspicious" objects in the southern Indian Ocean - the first grey or green and circular, the second orange and rectangular.

A Chinese military plane, which was involved in search efforts in the same region, also reported "suspicious"sightings earlier Monday.