MH370: Malaysia will assess credibility of Bay of Bengal sighting

“In line with Malaysia’s consistent stand of verifying and corroborating any new lead since Day 1 of the search operations, we are aware of a report sighting the detection of potential aircraft wreckage in the Bay of Bengal. China and Australia are also aware of this report,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

He added that the fact that MH370 has still not been found underscores the complexity and difficulty of this search operation.

“Malaysia will discuss with our international counterparts, including Australia, how the new search operation, as announced by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday, will proceed. This discussion will include issues such as the deployment of assets with deep sea search capabilities, the cost of the operation and how best authorities can ensure the next of kin of those onboard flight MH370 are properly informed of the latest developments,” he said.

In other developments, Department of Civil Aviation former Director General Datuk Kok Soo Chon has been appointed as the Investigator in Charge for the International Investigation Team.

The international investigation team is represented by representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, China, France, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, as well as from Boeing, Rolls Royce and Inmarsat.

The purpose of the international investigation team is to evaluate, investigate and determine the actual cause of the incident so similar incidents could be avoided in the future.