Australia to join search efforts for missing MH370

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he received a telephone call from his Australian counterpart, Tony Abbott who expressed his country’s wish to help in the MH370 search operations.

He said the Australian government agreed to deploy two of its maritime surveillance aircrafts named PC3-Orion.

"The Australian prime minister expressed his sympathies and had agreed to deploy two of its P-3C Orion aircrafts equipped with radar censors to aid in search operations,’ he told reporters at the 2014 National Reconciliation Programme on Sunday.

I received a call from Australia PM @TonyAbbottMHR offering two PC Orion aircrafts to help locate #MH370
— Mohd Najib Tun Razak (@NajibRazak) March 9, 2014

With the search and rescue operation areas expanded, Najib said the additional assets are timely and much needed.

He also said the government is aware of the distress faced by the family members of passengers and crew on the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane which dropped off the radar over 30 hours ago.

Six Australians were among 239 people on board the missing MH370 flight.