A large piece of floating debris has
been spotted in the remote Indian Ocean search zone for missing flight
MH370, it was revealed today.
Chinese satellites picked up signs of a 'suspicious' object measuring 72ft by 42ft in an area 75 miles west of where Australia reported an earlier sighting of floating debris.
The images were taken at lunchtime on March 18, Chinese state media reported, just two days after the sighting by Australian satellites singled out the area in the southern Indian Ocean.
Since the announcement, Australian search teams scouring the remote area reported seeing a number of small objects including a wooden pallet.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion plane with specialist electro-optic observation equipment was diverted to the location, arriving after the first aircraft left but only reported sighting clumps of seaweed.
The Chinese satellite discovery was revealed this morning by Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at a press conference where he gave the latest updates on the search for the missing airliner.
He made the announcement after being handed a handwritten note, adding that Chinese authorities would make an official announcement 'in a couple of hours'.
Mr Hussein told reporters at the press conference in Kuala Lumpur: 'The Chinese ambassador has received satellite images of floating objects in the southern corridor and they will be sending ships to investigate.
'This floating object is 22m long by 30m wide.' His figures were contradicted by Chinese media, suggesting that portions of the message were lost in translation.
'I'm going to follow this up immediately,' Mr Hussein added.
Mr Hussein earlier told reporters that conditions in the search area are 'very challenging' with a tropical cyclone forecast to move in.
'In the area where possible objects were identified by Australian authorities, there are strong currents and rough seas,' he said.
'A cyclone warning has been declared for Tropical Cyclone Gillian, which is located in the southern corridor. Very strong winds and rough seas are expected there today.'
China said an image of the object had been captured by its high-definition earth observation satellite 'Gaofen-1'. The location was south by west of the possible debris announced by Australia on Thursday.
The latest possible lead in the hunt for the jetliner comes two weeks after it disappeared from civilian radar screens less than an hour after taking-off from the Malaysian capital on a scheduled flight to Beijing.
The announcement came after the first Australian Orion aircraft to make a sortie over the target zone for missing Flight MH370 returned without success.
Flying Officer Peter Moore, the aircraft's captain, said a combination of 'less than ideal' weather and sea conditions had closed in on the flight.
He said his crew had flown through 'a thick layer of cloud from 2000 feet to 500 feet, isolate showers and sea fog above the surface'.
However, the aircraft had managed to cover 100 per cent of its planned search area, with RAAF officers manning the visual observer station on board.
'However, we weren't able to find any evidence of wreckage from the missing Malaysian aircraft,' officer Moore said.
Since Australia announced the first image of what could be parts of the aircraft on Thursday, the international search for the plane has focused on an expanse of ocean more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) southwest of Perth.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said one of its aircraft reported sighting a number of 'small objects' with the naked eye, including a wooden pallet, within a radius of five km.
The RNZAF P-3 Orion aircraft sent to take a closer look only reported seeing clumps of seaweed. It dropped a marker buoy to track the movement.
'A merchant ship in the area has been tasked to relocate and seek to identify the material,' AMSA said in a statement.
The latest developments came after Australia's acting prime minister today said the air and sea search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 'will continue while there's still hope'.
Warren Truss said no time limit had been placed on the operation which will continue 'indefinitely' and 'until we are absolutely satisfied further searching is futile.'
He spoke at RAAF airbase Pearce in Perth, western Australia, after meeting with sailors and airmen who have been scouring a remote area of the southern Indian Ocean where debris was spotted by satellite six days ago.
Australia, which announced the potential find and is coordinating the rescue, has cautioned the objects might be a lost shipping container or other debris and may have since sunk.
Two weeks after the Malaysian airliner carrying 239 people vanished, international teams were stepping up their search today.
Weather conditions were difficult in the area identified by Australian satellite pictures, Malaysian officials said in a press conference today, with strong currents and rough seas, and a cyclone predicted to be on the way to the area.
Searches by more than two dozen countries have so far turned up little but frustration and fresh questions about the passenger jet which disappeared on a scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.
Six aircraft and two merchant ships were hunting for signs of the jet today.
Chinese satellites picked up signs of a 'suspicious' object measuring 72ft by 42ft in an area 75 miles west of where Australia reported an earlier sighting of floating debris.
The images were taken at lunchtime on March 18, Chinese state media reported, just two days after the sighting by Australian satellites singled out the area in the southern Indian Ocean.
Since the announcement, Australian search teams scouring the remote area reported seeing a number of small objects including a wooden pallet.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion plane with specialist electro-optic observation equipment was diverted to the location, arriving after the first aircraft left but only reported sighting clumps of seaweed.
Possible sighting: A photo released by Chinese
broadcaster CCTV shows a new satellite image of a large floating object
in the Indian Ocean that could be related to missing Malaysia Airlines
flight MH370
A new hope: Malaysian Transport Minister
Hishammuddin Hussein holds up the note on which he was passed the
information about the Chinese satellite sighting in the southern Indian
Ocean
Hand-written: A close up of the note passed to Mr Hussein. It is understood that the '30m' figure is incorrect
The Chinese satellite discovery was revealed this morning by Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at a press conference where he gave the latest updates on the search for the missing airliner.
He made the announcement after being handed a handwritten note, adding that Chinese authorities would make an official announcement 'in a couple of hours'.
Mr Hussein told reporters at the press conference in Kuala Lumpur: 'The Chinese ambassador has received satellite images of floating objects in the southern corridor and they will be sending ships to investigate.
'This floating object is 22m long by 30m wide.' His figures were contradicted by Chinese media, suggesting that portions of the message were lost in translation.
'I'm going to follow this up immediately,' Mr Hussein added.
Rough seas: A satellite picture from the U.S.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the cyclone
closing in on the MH370 search zone in the southern Indian Ocean
Mr Hussein earlier told reporters that conditions in the search area are 'very challenging' with a tropical cyclone forecast to move in.
'In the area where possible objects were identified by Australian authorities, there are strong currents and rough seas,' he said.
'A cyclone warning has been declared for Tropical Cyclone Gillian, which is located in the southern corridor. Very strong winds and rough seas are expected there today.'
China said an image of the object had been captured by its high-definition earth observation satellite 'Gaofen-1'. The location was south by west of the possible debris announced by Australia on Thursday.
The latest possible lead in the hunt for the jetliner comes two weeks after it disappeared from civilian radar screens less than an hour after taking-off from the Malaysian capital on a scheduled flight to Beijing.
Flight Lieutenant Jason Nichols on board a Royal
Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion, takes notes as they search for debris
from missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 earlier today in the
southern Indian Ocean
RAAF Flight officer Rayan Gharazeddine looks out from an Orion as he scans for signs of debris or wreckage
Sergeant Matthew Falanga stares out at the wide
blue ocean: Australia's acting prime minister today said his forces air
and sea search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 'will
continue while there's still hope'
The announcement came after the first Australian Orion aircraft to make a sortie over the target zone for missing Flight MH370 returned without success.
Flying Officer Peter Moore, the aircraft's captain, said a combination of 'less than ideal' weather and sea conditions had closed in on the flight.
He said his crew had flown through 'a thick layer of cloud from 2000 feet to 500 feet, isolate showers and sea fog above the surface'.
However, the aircraft had managed to cover 100 per cent of its planned search area, with RAAF officers manning the visual observer station on board.
'However, we weren't able to find any evidence of wreckage from the missing Malaysian aircraft,' officer Moore said.
Since Australia announced the first image of what could be parts of the aircraft on Thursday, the international search for the plane has focused on an expanse of ocean more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) southwest of Perth.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said one of its aircraft reported sighting a number of 'small objects' with the naked eye, including a wooden pallet, within a radius of five km.
The RNZAF P-3 Orion aircraft sent to take a closer look only reported seeing clumps of seaweed. It dropped a marker buoy to track the movement.
'A merchant ship in the area has been tasked to relocate and seek to identify the material,' AMSA said in a statement.
Flying Officer Peter Moore, the aircraft's
captain, said a combination of 'less than ideal' weather and sea
conditions had closed in on the flight
The latest developments came after Australia's acting prime minister today said the air and sea search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 'will continue while there's still hope'.
Warren Truss said no time limit had been placed on the operation which will continue 'indefinitely' and 'until we are absolutely satisfied further searching is futile.'
He spoke at RAAF airbase Pearce in Perth, western Australia, after meeting with sailors and airmen who have been scouring a remote area of the southern Indian Ocean where debris was spotted by satellite six days ago.
Australia, which announced the potential find and is coordinating the rescue, has cautioned the objects might be a lost shipping container or other debris and may have since sunk.
Two weeks after the Malaysian airliner carrying 239 people vanished, international teams were stepping up their search today.
Weather conditions were difficult in the area identified by Australian satellite pictures, Malaysian officials said in a press conference today, with strong currents and rough seas, and a cyclone predicted to be on the way to the area.
Searches by more than two dozen countries have so far turned up little but frustration and fresh questions about the passenger jet which disappeared on a scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.
Six aircraft and two merchant ships were hunting for signs of the jet today.
Acting Prime Minister of Australia Warren Truss
speaks to the media at the RAAF Pearce Base, where he said the search
for MH370 would continue 'while there's still hope' and until officials
were certain it was 'futile'
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