Disappearance Of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Is Declared An Accident, Search For Survivors End

The Malaysian government has confirmed on Thursday the Malaysia Airlines flight 370 is declared an accident, and the search for the 239 passengers and crew on board has been called off; however, the search for the missing Boeing 777 will proceed. A criminal investigation will also take place, according to NBC News.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, the general director of Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation, released a statement after MH 370 was declared an accident saying, as of now, “all 239 passengers are presumed dead.”

“It is therefore, with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that, on behalf of the government of Malaysia, we officially declare Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident. All 239 of the passengers and crew on board MH370 are presumed to have lost their lives.”

Twitter reacted to the Malaysian government’s decision to declare MH 370 an accident.

When you got nothing better to say, just keep your mouth shut.”presumed dead” what statement is this? Somemore coming from DCA chief.#MH370

— Intan Maizura (@intanmaizura80) January 29, 2015

After months, #malaysian authorities simply announce that the disappearance of #MH370 was due to an accident.And so the mystery continues…

— TANUJ GARG (@tanuj_garg) January 29, 2015

Not exactly a closure but we all need to move on eventually, and that eventually is now. My prayers go out to the families affected #MH370

— fvliqfvhmie (@faliqfahmie) January 29, 2015

With all my heart, I still believe that the passengers of #MH370 are still out there somewhere somehow surviving. I can feel it in my bones.

— mynnie (@mynrocketeer) January 29, 2015

Much confusion over declaration of #MH370 as “accident.” That just means it came to grief. Investigators are still treating event as crime

— Jeff Wise (@ManvBrain) January 29, 2015

Some of the family members of the MH 370 victims are having a hard time accepting the “declared an accident” announcement.

“They have found nothing,” said Li Jingxin whose brother is a passenger on the missing jet.

“With nothing found, how can they make any announcement?”

MH 370 went missing on Saturday, March 8, 2014 – just 10 months after the Malaysian government confirmed the jet’s disappearance was declared an accident – and has yet to be found. The jet was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing – mostly carrying passengers from China – when it disappeared from the air traffic controller’s radar around 1:30 a.m. The United States, along with 25 other countries, sent ships, aircrafts, and personnel in hopes of recovering the missing jet.

However, after 10 months of searching for the missing Boeing 777, there is still no word on what happened to MH 370. They do believe the plane flew for several hours after take-off before ending in the southern Indian Ocean.

Richard Wescott – BCC correspondent – stated that the MH 370 “declared an accident” maneuver was executed to help the families of the victims claim compensation from either the airline or the insurers. Although a fixed amount has not been determined, many believe it will take years for the families to receive the money, according to BBC News.

“We call on the Malaysian side to honor the promise made when they declared the flight to have been lost and earnestly fulfil [sic] their compensation responsibilities,” Hua Chunying stated, a Chinese spokeswoman.

However, some of the families will not be accepting compensation from the airlines nor the insurers, because they don’t accept the decision made by the Malaysian government to declare MH 370 an accident without any proof that their loved ones are dead.

The Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, told reporters about the families of the victims settling claims.

“We hope the Malaysian side honors its promises and fully investigates the incident, settling claims and making peace with the families, especially continuing to make all efforts to find the missing plane and its passengers,”

[Image via Hindustan Times]