Chinese relatives of those on MH370 ask for search to continue

World Friday 29/July/2016 23:28 PM
By: Times News Service
Chinese relatives of those on MH370 ask for search to continue

Beijing: Chinese relatives of those on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which went missing two years ago on a flight to Beijing, made an emotional plea on Friday for the search to continue.
Last week, Malaysia, China and Australia said in a joint statement that the hunt for MH370 would be suspended if the aircraft was not found in an area now being searched.
The Boeing 777, with 239 aboard, disappeared in March 2014 while on a flight from the Malaysian capital, Koala Lumpur.
Almost A$180 million ($135 million) has been spent since then on an underwater search spanning 120,000 square kilometres (46,332 square miles) in the southern Indian Ocean.
About 30 family members, some in tears, gathered at China's foreign ministry to hand over the petition, and a group were allowed in despite a brief stand-off with plainclothes security.
"We oppose their decision. We don't recognise it at all. That decision has no reason behind it," said Boa Lanfang, 65, whose son, daughter-in-law and grandson were on the flight.
Some family members held up placards reading "The three governments have an obligation to the world to fulfil their promise".
The families of those on board, most of whom were from China, have pressed hard for answers ever since the plane went missing.
China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Investigators believe the plane was deliberately flown thousands of kilometres (miles) off course before crashing into the southern Indian Ocean off Australia.
Malaysian investigators said in 2015 there was nothing suspicious in the financial, medical or personal histories of pilots or crew.
Several pieces of aircraft wreckage have washed up on beaches in Africa and been positively identified as coming from MH370 but they shed little light on the mystery.
Meanwhile, an aircraft wing part found in Tanzania is "highly likely" to be part of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, an Australian government minister said on Friday, in what would be the second confirmed piece of the jetliner.
The wing part found in Tanzania is being examined in Australia.
"It is highly likely that the latest piece of debris being analysed is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370," Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said in a statement.
"The experts will continue to analyse this piece to assess what information can be determined from it."
Investigators have confirmed a piece of plane debris found on the French island of Reunion in July 2015 as being part of MH370.
They have said several other pieces of debris found in Mozambique, South Africa and Rodrigues Island, a territory of Mauritius, are likely to be parts of the missing plane.