MOSCOW, March 24 (RIA Novosti) – A missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 airliner has most certainly crashed in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, the airline said Monday.
In a text message to families of those on board the airline said all passengers and crew were presumed dead. The message was widely reposted online to social media.
The plane, carrying 239 people, including one Russian citizen, lost contact with air traffic controllers under mysterious circumstances on March 8. At least 26 nations took part in the massive hunt for the missing aircraft.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed the crash, citing the latest satellite data obtained from UK satellite company Inmarsat and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Inmarsat had previously identified two areas – dubbed the north and south corridor – where the plane could have flown unnoticed after its onboard transponder was switched off.
“Based on their new analysis, [they] have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor and its last position was in the Indian Ocean, west of Perth [in Australia],” Razak said in a statement.
“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,” he continued.
