MH370: Malaysia sends seventh vessel to join search for missing plane

Malaysia today sent its seventh navy vessel to join the search for a missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight, MH370, in the southern Indian Ocean.

The auxiliary ship Bunga Mas 6 (BM6) was officially sent off at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) base here by RMN Support Commander Vice Admiral Datuk Mohamad Roslan Mohamad Ramli.

BM6 has Commander J. Kuharaj as its commanding officer and a crew of 25 comprising personnel of the Malaysian International Shipping (MISC) absorbed into the RMN Volunteer Reserve Force.

A medical officer from the army has been included in this aid mission.

"The RMN auxiliary vessel operated entirely by a team from the RMN Volunteer Reserve Force is going on this mission under a partnership between the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and the MISC on a matter of national interest," Mohamad Roslan told reporters after the official function.

"We will undertake the mission (in the southern Indian Ocean) west of Perth, Australia, along with KD Lekiu which has been operating there since March 19," he said.

Mohamad Roslan said BM6 was expected to reach the area of operation on April 25 and would be there for three months. Nevertheless, the vessel was ready to continue with its mission after that depending on the instruction of the government.

Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, left the KL International Airport at 12.41 am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later while over the South China Sea. It was to have landed in Beijing at 6.30 am on the same day.

A multinational search was mounted for the Boeing 777-200 aircraft, first in the South China Sea and then, after it was learnt that the plane had veered off course, in the southern Indian Ocean.

When an analysis of satellite data indicated that the plane's last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth, Australia, it was announced that Flight MH370 "ended in the southern Indian Ocean".