FLIGHT MH370 Update: 122 New Objects Spotted On Southern Indian Ocean

by Benson Agoha

Search efforts resumed this morning after weather improved and 122 news objects were reportedly sighted from latest satellite scan.

It comes as China stepped efforts with search screw and a series of meetings with Malaysian authorities. 154 Chinese nationals were on board the Malaysian Airlines Passenger plane when it disappeared on March 8.

Yesterday, the Australian authorities said they will only give up when it is proven that there is no chance of finding anything around the south Corridor of the Indian Ocean, at a distance 1550 miles from the Australian City of Perth.

This morning, crew members of Chinese IL-76 aircraft were scanning the target area to search for the missing plane, above the southern Indian Ocean.

Chinese warship Jinggangshan is also reportedly cruising at full throttle toward the patch of the southern Indian Ocean where an intensive search is under way for newly spotted debris.

According to Chinese News channel Xinhua, the amphibious docking vessel, which was previously arranged to scour waters southwest of Sumatra, was expected to move into position west of the western Australian port of Perth on Sunday.

"A Chinese naval flotilla of three vessels has already reached their target area -- some 1,100 nautical miles west of Perth -- to hunt for the ill-fated Boeing 777 plane, the Chinese medium reported.

Meanwhile, further reports said Chinese icebreaker Xuelong has also arrived in the area where Chinese airborne searchers spotted some suspicious objects on Monday, and a Chinese merchant ship has reached waters where French satellites detected some suspicious items.

According to the BBC, a further 122 objects potentially from the missing Malaysian flight have been identified by satellite, quoting Malaysia's acting transport minister.

The images, taken on 23 March, showed objects up to 23m (75 ft) in length, Hishammuddin Hussein said as additional reports say some of the objects captured by France-based Airbus appeared bright and were possibly of solid material.

In addition, more Chinese military and civilian vessels are en route to the southern Indian Ocean for the search mission, Xinhua News said.

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* Photo Credit: Xinhua/Huang Shubo.