Australian authorities may have found some debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. This latest development comes twelve days after the plane vanished mysteriously over Southeast Asia. The said flight carried carrying 239 passengers, including 227 Chinese nationals.
“New and credible information has come to light in relation to the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean,” Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told the Australian House of Representatives in Canberra early Thursday.
“The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has received information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search. Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified,” he added.
The Australian leader noted that he has informed Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, but cautioned him that nothing has been confirmed yet and that the objects may only be a false lead. The search area is being considered as remote, and the objects could be several thousand meters under the Indian Ocean.
In a press conference, AMSA emergency response general manager John Young told reporters that the objects have “reasonable sizes” and the larger one could be around 24 meters (78 feet) in size. Mr. Young added that this is the first time for them to take a closer look on the possible plane debris. However, he said that the weather is not cooperating with the search efforts and clear visibility will be a problem.
An aircraft was immediately sent to the location to confirm the observation. Shortly after, three other planes have been dispatched. A Royal Australian Navy ship and another ship are also on the way to the search area in the Indian Ocean, wherein it was one of two “vectors” that authorities have earlier identified as the path where the missing plane lost its communication.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has already spoken with reporters in Kuala Lumpur about this potential breakthrough. He said that the search “involves diplomatic, technical and logistical challenges.”
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