The latest search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has ended without uncovering any evidence about the missing aircraft, Malaysia’s transport ministry said on Sunday, as the disappearance marked its 12th anniversary.The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people vanished from radar screens on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in what remains one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries.In a statement, Malaysia’s transport ministry said the latest search, which began in December and covered around 15,000 square kilometres of the seabed, failed to locate the aircraft.The efforts “have not yielded any findings that confirm the location of the aircraft wreckage”, the ministry said.
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The search operation was carried out by exploration firm Ocean Infinity, based in Britain and the United States. The company ended the mission on January 23 after weeks of scanning the seabed using advanced underwater technology.To try to locate the missing aircraft, Ocean Infinity deployed autonomous underwater drones capable of diving to depths of up to 6,000 metres (20,000 feet).The disappearance of MH370 triggered the largest search effort in aviation history, yet neither the aircraft, its passengers nor the flight recorders have been recovered. The plane was carrying passengers from several countries, with two-thirds of those on board being Chinese nationals. Others included Malaysians, Indonesians and Australians, along with Indian, American, Dutch and French citizens.Families of Chinese passengers expressed frustration over the lack of communication about the latest search in an open letter published on Sunday, the anniversary of the aircraft’s disappearance.”We understand the difficulties of the search,” the relatives said in a joint open letter addressed to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in which they thanked him for initiating the search.”However, since 15 January this year, families have received no further search briefings whatsoever.”The families also said they had repeatedly tried to contact authorities without success.”Over the past two months, we have repeatedly contacted Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport through both Malaysia Airlines and the Chinese government, yet have received no response,” they said.They also described the emotional toll the prolonged uncertainty has taken on relatives of those on board.”For 12 years, we have received virtually no genuine psychological support.””We ask for little: only to be seen, to be heard, and to be treated as individuals with emotions and dignity.”Relatives of the Chinese passengers are expected to meet officials from China’s foreign ministry on Monday, a yearly meeting held on the anniversary of the flight’s disappearance. They are also expected to visit the Malaysian embassy in Beijing to deliver their letter to Prime Minister Anwar.Ocean Infinity had previously conducted an unsuccessful search for the aircraft in 2018. Earlier, Australia led a three year multinational search that ended in January 2017 without finding the plane.More than a decade after MH370 vanished, the fate of the aircraft and the 239 people on board remains unknown.
