Missing plane search enters third week

Rescue teams widen their search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane in remote seas of the Indian Ocean, as the mission enters its third week.

22 March 2014, 8:54am

1 min read

Satellites detected debris earlier this week 2,500 km (1,550 miles) south-west of Perth in Australia, but search operations have so far failed to find the objects.

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he hunt for the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 has entered its third week, with the country asking the US to provide undersea surveillance technology and search efforts continuing thousands of kilometres off the coast of Australia.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it would send six aicraft throughout the day on Saturday.

Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia's defence minister and acting transport minister, on Friday asked the US for underwater technology.

Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, told Hussein that he would contact Malaysian authorities after considering the matter.

Five planes were sent to the southern Indian Ocean on Friday to look for objects that may be from the missing Malaysian jet.

And an Australian official said the hunt would be extended for another day after nothing had been found in the area, about 2,500km southwest of Perth, according to the AP news agency.

"Something that was floating on the sea that long ago may no longer be floating," said Warren Truss, who is the acting Australian prime minister while Tony Abbott is in Papua New Guinea. "It may have slipped to the bottom," he added.

Abbott also said "if there is anything down there, we will find it".

Search efforts shifted to remote areas of the Indian Ocean after objects were identified on satellite images five days ago.

Efforts have also been renewed in the Andaman Sea between India and Thailand, covering areas that have already been thoroughly swept.

Australian, New Zealand and US aircraft will be joined by Chinese and Japanese planes over the weekend.