Confusion over Malaysia Airlines missing plane's final location hampers search

Flight MH360, which had 239 people on board, went missing on Saturday.

15:13 12 March 2014

Flight MH360, which went missing on Saturday, is still yet to be found. Since the weekend, search teams have scoured waters off both sides of the Malaysian peninsula and the confusion over the plane’s final location isn’t helping. 

Due to conflicting reports on its last known location, Malaysian authorities have decided to widen the search. They have also confirmed that the said flight went missing about an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, as it flew over the South China Sea, south of Vietnam’s Ca Mau peninsula. No distress signal or message was received from the aircraft.

Due to reports that the plane could have turned back, the search for the aircraft was extended to the Malacca Strait and Andaman Sea, off Malaysia’s west coast.

Malaysian civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said: "We are not going to leave any chance. We have to look at every possibility.”

Meanwhile, Vietnam confirmed that it is also investigating the case. Doan Huu Gia, deputy general director of Vietnam's air traffic management, said: "We received an email from a New Zealander who works on one of the oil rigs off Vung Tau.

"He said he spotted a burning [object] at that location, some 300 km (200 miles) southeast of Vung Tau."