Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has made the sombre announcement that flight MH370 crashed into the southern Indian Ocean.
New satellite images and analysis of the flight path placed the plane’s final position in remote waters off Australia’s west coast.
“It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean,” Prime Minister Razak said on Monday night.
The tragic announcement ends 17 days of agonising uncertainty for relatives of those on board the flight, which disappeared on March 8 during an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Prime Minister Razak said Malaysian airlines had spoken to the families of the passengers and crew aboard the ill-fated flight.
“For them, the past few weeks have been heartbreaking; I know this news must be harder still.”
The airline sent a statement via text message to the families of those on board the flight saying “we have to assume” flight MH370 was lost.
“Malaysian Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived,” the statement said.
“As you will hear in the next hour from Malaysia’s Prime Minister, we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean.
“Our prayers go out to all the loved ones of the 226 passengers and of our 13 friends and colleagues at this enormously painful time. We know there are no words that we or anyone else can say which can ease your pain.”
