Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says that information from a new analysis of satellite data shows that a missing Malaysia Airlines plane crashed into the southern Indian Ocean and there are no survivors.
"Based on the new analysis, Inmarsat [a British satellite company] and the AAIB [Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch] have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth," Razak said.
Razak made the announcement at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
"This [place where the plane is believed to have crashed] is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore, with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean," Razak said.
Malaysian Airlines told the relatives of many of the 239 passengers and crew on flight MH370 before Razak's announcement that all those onboard were "lost and none survived."
The airliner said in a statement that "our prayers go out to all the loved ones of the 226 passengers and of our 13 friends and colleagues at this enormously painful time."
Most of the people onboard the missing plane were Chinese citizens.
Dozens of relatives came to Kuala Lumpur from China to await word on the fate of their loved ones, holding out hope that it had landed intact somewhere and that there could be survivors.
Many were seen after the announcement screaming and cursing at officials.
Search planes and boats from more than 20 countries have been looking for signs of the plane for more than two weeks.
It disappeared on March 8 shortly after takeoff from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
Chinese and Australian search planes spotted objects in the Indian Ocean on March 24 that they said could be debris from the missing jet.
Several boats are on their way to the location of the sightings in hopes of finding some confirmation that the place did crash in the ocean.
Finding pieces of the airplane and possibly its black box could shed light on what caused the plane to veer off its course toward Beijing and towards the Indian Ocean.
"Based on the new analysis, Inmarsat [a British satellite company] and the AAIB [Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch] have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth," Razak said.
Razak made the announcement at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
"This [place where the plane is believed to have crashed] is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore, with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean," Razak said.
Malaysian Airlines told the relatives of many of the 239 passengers and crew on flight MH370 before Razak's announcement that all those onboard were "lost and none survived."
The airliner said in a statement that "our prayers go out to all the loved ones of the 226 passengers and of our 13 friends and colleagues at this enormously painful time."
Most of the people onboard the missing plane were Chinese citizens.
Dozens of relatives came to Kuala Lumpur from China to await word on the fate of their loved ones, holding out hope that it had landed intact somewhere and that there could be survivors.
Many were seen after the announcement screaming and cursing at officials.
Search planes and boats from more than 20 countries have been looking for signs of the plane for more than two weeks.
It disappeared on March 8 shortly after takeoff from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
Chinese and Australian search planes spotted objects in the Indian Ocean on March 24 that they said could be debris from the missing jet.
Several boats are on their way to the location of the sightings in hopes of finding some confirmation that the place did crash in the ocean.
Finding pieces of the airplane and possibly its black box could shed light on what caused the plane to veer off its course toward Beijing and towards the Indian Ocean.