After nearly two and a half weeks of searching for a Malaysian Airlines flight that vanished on March 8, Malaysian authorities have concluded that all 239 passengers are dead. Flight MH370, which was supposed to fly from Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to Chinese capital Beijing, mysteriously veered off course and into the Indian Ocean before its communications signals were cut. Since then, many countries continue to search for the Boeing 777’s crash site and finally bring closure to the hundreds of family members in Beijing who nervously wait for information regarding their loved ones.
Why and how Flight MH370 disappeared is uncertain. According to Reuters, partial military radar tracking showed the airplane turning west, thereby breaking from the route to Beijing, and flying across the Malay Peninsula. Based on a satellite analysis by the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents and Investigation Branch (AAIB), MH370 then flew into the southern corridor of the Indian Ocean, one of the world’s remotest regions, where it is presumed the plane subsequently crashed. Theories about why MH370 crashed include hijacking, sabotage or a possible suicide by one of the pilots, though none of these can be proven.
In an effort to discover the mystery surrounding MH370’s disappearance, numerous governments are providing technology and resources in order to recover the plane’s black box, which records the entire flight information and is specifically designed to facilitate the investigation of a plane crash. Washington Post reports that the United States Navy is sending a black box locator and is working in collaboration with the Australian Navy to locate the crash site. The problem, however, is that bad weather in the southern corridor is impeding the search. Also, much of the debris discovered that is hoped to be parts of MH370 is actually sea trash, ranging from tiny pieces of plastic to fishing gear and shipping containers. Furthermore, the search area is 1,500 miles off of southwest Australia and spans an oceanic area of up to 469,407 square nautical miles. All of these factors combined result in a prolonged search that may still not be in the actual site of the plane crash.
As a result of the slow process of the investigation, tensions are running high among the families of the crash victims. Out of the 239 passengers, 153 were Chinese nationals and their families have been living in a Beijing hotel waiting for news on search progress. On March 24, the Malaysian government sent out a text message stating that it assumed “beyond all reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and none of those on board survived.” The BBC reports that after the text was sent, dozens of family members protested outside of the Malaysian Embassy, demanding to meet the ambassador in a desperate attempt to find answers. Protestors held signs that said “MH370, Don’t let us wait too long!” and “1.3 billion people are waiting to greet the plane.” No significant violence broke out, however, and police were able to keep the protestors from entering embassy grounds.
Additionally, diplomatic strains between Malaysia and China are surfacing. China perceives Malaysia as withholding information that would lead to a speedier conclusion to the search. Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng issued a statement regarding the acceptance of the AAIB’s report, saying “We demand the Malaysian side state the detailed evidence that leads them to this judgment, as well as supply all the relevant information and evidence about the satellite data analysis.” In an attempt to abate the growing frustrations, Malaysia Airlines has promised to make arrangements to fly family members of the victims to Australia once the crash site has been uncovered. Moreover, Malaysian Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said that his company would offer $5,000 in compensation to the next of kin, along with hotel accommodations, transportation and food. Yahya did note, however, that money could never bring back any of the victims.