The Chinese government has released days-old satellite images which may provide new clues as to the whereabouts of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished five days ago with 239 passengers and crew on board.
A report from China’s official Xinhua News Agency says satellite images posted on a national defence technology website from the morning of March 9 – the day after the Boeing 777 disappeared – appear to show “three suspected floating objects” of varying sizes. The objects are speculated to be possible debris from the passenger jet.
The Chinese government website report also details coordinates of the objects which are located east of Malaysia off the southern coast of Vietnam, an area believed to be included in the original search site.
According to the report the largest of the floating matter appears to be about 24-22 metres.
Aside from a Chinese government agency revealing they may have “observed a suspected crash area at sea,” no other nation involved in the search has confirmed the Xinhua report.
It is unknown when Chinese officials became aware of the images but former US National Transportation Safety Board managing director Peter Goelz says China may have been reluctant to release the images earlier.
“They may not want to reveal what kind of satellite capabilities they have,” Goelz told CNN.
A cautious approach is likely to be taken to this latest Chinese report after images released early this week of alleged aircraft wreckage in the Gulf of Thailand proved to be mistaken.
The new development comes after Malaysian officials denied that the search for the missing aircraft is in disarray. Malaysia’s acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said last night Malaysia would “never give up hope” of finding the plane and its passengers.
“I think it’s not a matter of chaos. There are a lot of speculations (sic) that we have answered in the last few days,” said Hishammuddin to a packed crowd of journalists.
Malaysia’s acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein speaks to the media.
Malaysia’s acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein speaks to the media.
Malaysia’s acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein speaks to the media.
The search area now encompasses nearly 27,000 nautical miles (over 90,000 square kilometres) and has grown from the Gulf of Thailand to include the Straits of Malacca and Andaman Sea east of the Malaysian peninsula.
Among the missing are six Australians and 153 Chinese nationals.
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