More Planes Join In Search For Malaysian Flight MH370

Eight planes were sent out on Sunday over a wider search area after China released new images of possible debris.

A key focus on Sunday was the sighting on Saturday of a wooden cargo pallet, along with belts or straps.

Australia is leading the search and said it was investigating sightings of a wooden pallet and other items.

Based on information received from a satellite, the search has been in two distinct corridors – one stretching to the north-west of the last known location in the Malacca Straits and one to the south-west.

The Australian navy's HMAS Success is the only ship in the area, though others, including from the US, UK and China are on the way.

China on Saturday released a satellite image showing an object floating in the southern Indian Ocean near to the area already being searched, some 2,500 km (1,550 miles) south-west of Perth.

The grainy image was released by China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on March 8th en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 people on board.

Malaysian officials believe the plane was deliberately taken off course.

Relatives and friends are still waiting anxiously for news in hotels in Beijing and Malaysia.

By Angel Mboya

Source: BBC News