MH370: Remembering a tragedy a year on
On March 8 last year, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished from radar screens shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, bound for Beijing.
Investigators believe it was flown thousands of miles off course before eventually crashing into the Indian Ocean.
Till today, no trace has been found of the Boeing 777 jet that carried 239 passengers and crew, in what has become one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history.
As the world marks the one year point of the tragedy, tributes pour in on social media.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a statement that Malaysia "stand united in remembering and honouring the 239 people" who disappeared along with the flight.
He released the full statement on his blog, NajibRazak.com.
No words can describe the pain the families of those on-board are going through. The lack of answers and definitive proof – such as aircraft wreckage – has made this more difficult to bear.
Together with our international partners, we have followed the little evidence that exists. Malaysia remains committed to the search, and hopeful that MH370 will be found.” - Malaysian PM Najib Razak
How the search is to be conducted is still in question, with Malaysia's transport minister Liow Tiong Lai saying that they may have to re-examine all available data used to determine a suspected crash zone.
He told AFP:
“The people of Malaysia remember this date. The world community will remember this date – the 8th of March disappearance of MH370 – and we are together with the next of kin.
“I would like to say to the next of kin that we will continue to be committed to the search.”
But he said if nothing is found in a zone now being scoured, “then we have to go back to the drawing board” and re-examine all available data used to determine a suspected crash zone.
Sources: Wires, Twitter
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