Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Families of passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 said they were devastated by the confirmation that part of an aircraft wing found on Réunion Island last week was from the jet that went missing on March 8 of last year.
“For a lot of us, today may be the worst day of our lives since March 8 [2014] because it takes away this sense of hope we’ve held on to for all these months,” said Grace Nathan, whose mother, Anne Daisy Nathan, was a passenger on the flight.
Experts believe Flight 370 crashed after it ran out of fuel in the Southern Indian Ocean, thousands of kilometers from its last known position as well as from the French territory east of Madagascar where the wing part was found.
Several families expressed frustration early Thursday at how they were told the shattering information.
Malaysia Airlines simply sent an email to the families of the 239 passengers and crew on Flight 370, saying that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak would be making a “major” announcement that the flaperon was indeed from Flight 370, barely minutes before Mr. Najib addressed reporters past midnight in Kuala Lumpur.
Reporters were tipped off at least two hours in advance and told to assemble at the venue of the news conference.
Families have complained on many occasions that authorities weren’t keeping them up-to-date on the latest developments in the tragedy.
Elaine Chew, the wife of Tan Sze Hiang, a cabin crew member on Flight 370, said she was disappointed she was told of confirmation via email, but she spoke mostly about her distress about the news.
“It does not mean it will give me closure,” she said, adding that she regrets she won’t be able to give her husband a proper funeral. “I still can’t send my spouse to the peaceful land.”
05/08/15 Gaurav Raghuvanshi and Celine Fernandez/Wall Street Journal
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“For a lot of us, today may be the worst day of our lives since March 8 [2014] because it takes away this sense of hope we’ve held on to for all these months,” said Grace Nathan, whose mother, Anne Daisy Nathan, was a passenger on the flight.
Experts believe Flight 370 crashed after it ran out of fuel in the Southern Indian Ocean, thousands of kilometers from its last known position as well as from the French territory east of Madagascar where the wing part was found.
Several families expressed frustration early Thursday at how they were told the shattering information.
Malaysia Airlines simply sent an email to the families of the 239 passengers and crew on Flight 370, saying that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak would be making a “major” announcement that the flaperon was indeed from Flight 370, barely minutes before Mr. Najib addressed reporters past midnight in Kuala Lumpur.
Reporters were tipped off at least two hours in advance and told to assemble at the venue of the news conference.
Families have complained on many occasions that authorities weren’t keeping them up-to-date on the latest developments in the tragedy.
Elaine Chew, the wife of Tan Sze Hiang, a cabin crew member on Flight 370, said she was disappointed she was told of confirmation via email, but she spoke mostly about her distress about the news.
“It does not mean it will give me closure,” she said, adding that she regrets she won’t be able to give her husband a proper funeral. “I still can’t send my spouse to the peaceful land.”
05/08/15 Gaurav Raghuvanshi and Celine Fernandez/Wall Street Journal
