Search for missing Malaysian plane MH370 resumes as satellite spots 122 objects

The search and recovery operation for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 resumes with six military aircraft, five civil aircraft and five ships in the Australian Search and Rescue Region

Canberra: The search and recovery operation for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 resumed on Thursday with six military aircraft, five civil aircraft and five ships in the Australian Search and Rescue Region, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

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HMAS Success, the second largest ship of the Royal Australian Navy, remains in the search area about 2,500 km south-west of Perth. It has been joined by four Chinese ships - Xue Long, Kuulunshan, Haikon and Qiandaohu - in the search area.

Two Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orions, a Japanese Gulfstream jet, a US Navy P-8 Poseidon and a Japanese P-3 Orion will fly sorties throughout the day.

Five civil aircraft will fly to the search area.

Malaysia announced Wednesday that 122 objects have been identified in new satellite imagery that might be connected to the ongoing search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 now declared “lost”.

Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said at a press briefing that the latest satellite images were taken Sunday and provided Tuesday by France-based Airbus Defence and Space.

Based on the analysis done by the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency (MRSA), 122 potential objects were identified in an area of some 400 sq km, Xinhua reported citing the minister.

Some objects are one metre in length, while others are as long as 23 metres, the minister said, adding that some items appear to be bright, possibly indicating solid materials.

These newly identified objects were located approximately 2,557 km southwest from Perth, he said.

Australian authorities said the search for the lost jet continued Wednesday in the southern Indian Ocean.

Six countries - Australia, New Zealand, the US, Japan, China and South Korea - are participating in the search operation in the area 2,500 km southwest of Perth, the capital of Western Australia state.

"A total of seven military and five civil aircraft will be involved in today’s search activities,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement. The search was suspended Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions.

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