After almost a week with no clues about the whereabouts of missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, India has pressed its aerial and naval a...
Specific areas have been allocated by the Malaysian authorities for search by Indian ships and aircraft. Presently, two ships of Indian Navy, INS Saryu and INS Kumbhirare combing the designated areas in South Andaman Sea.
The search area has now expanded to cover an area stretching from South China Sea to Andaman Sea. The area indicated by Malaysia lies in the South Andaman Sea and is West of Great Nicobar Island.
Indian Air Force has started searching the area extensively using two Lockheed Martin C-130J airlifters and one Mi-17 V5 helicopter.
Indian Navy has deployed its newly acquired Boeing P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft and four ships to sweep the area.
In addition, two Coast Guard vessels are also carrying out search along the coastline. Two Dornier aircraft of Indian Navy and Coast Guard are also carrying out aerial search in the vicinity of the Andaman coastline.
The Malaysian authorities have also requested for a search in the Bay of Bengal, expanse of which is approx. 9000 sq km (15 km X600 Km). This area is approx. 900 km due West of Port Blair. Search in this area would be undertaken by the resources of Eastern Naval Command. The joint effort is being coordinated from Maritime Operations Centre of the Indian Navy at New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Chinese embassy had notified Malaysia that the satellite images it released were by mistake and did not show any debris from Boeing 777 Flight MH370.
Malaysian authorities also rejected US investigators conclusion that the flight MH370 may have kept flying for four hours after its went missing from radar on March 8.
