It is over 800 days since Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared. Pieces of debris, suspected to be from the aircraft, have lain in Madagascar for over three weeks now, along with more than a dozen personal belongings found on the same beach where these were found. They remain unclaimed by Malaysia, the country leading the investigation into the disappearance.
MH370 with 239 passengers and crew simply vanished in the early hours of March 8, 2014, leaving governments and the public the world over perplexed, and the passengers’ families anguished. Based on limited data reported to be available, it was concluded that the flight ended somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean, and that the passengers and crew were presumed dead. While Malaysia has been responsible for the overall investigation, Australia is leading the search in the designated search zone, to its west, in the Indian Ocean. The initial search area of 60,000 sq km identified in 2014 was extended and now it spans a total area of 120,000 sq km. The underwater search spread over the last 15 months or so has yielded rich data on topography under the sea but no signs of the aircraft. Just about 15,000 sq km remain to be searched and this is expected to be completed in the next two to three months.
With every sweep of the ocean floor, there is growing pessimism about the outcome of the search, and questions are already being raised about the correctness of the search zone. And there is a growing din to ensure that Malaysia stays committed to the search and investigation well beyond the 120,000-sq km area.
In recent months, notably since the first piece of debris, the flaperon, was located in July 2015 on Le Reunion island off Madagascar, thousands of kilometres from the designated search area, Malaysia’s response to the debris findings has invited harsh criticism for its premature confirmation of it being from MH370 in the case of the flaperon, and inexplicable tardiness in securing those found in the recent weeks and in conveying them for further analysis.
Five pieces of debris found by Blaine Alan Gibson, what look like aircraft parts based on photographs that have been widely circulated, have remained in Madagascar waiting to be claimed by Malaysia. It has been reported that a Malaysian official deputed to secure the items has had his trip cancelled twice for reasons not known. Furthermore, it has just been reported that Malaysia’s Transport Minister has ruled out any connection between the personal belongings found on Riake Beach (the same beach where the other five pieces were found). Both these facts are astounding and convey a sense that Malaysia is less than sincere about its professed commitment to the search and investigation.
There is no word from Malaysia on why it should take weeks rather than days to secure the debris and put it through a thorough analysis. This is inspite of the glare of the media, which have reported these finds extensively, and experts giving the opinion that the finds are certainly worthy of closer examination. Time is of the essence, and one would have expected a government whose moves are watched closely and criticised routinely, to have acted with alacrity. One wonders if this government is impervious to any critique or suggestion, or marches to a different time-scale towards goals that are odds with what it has made public.
28/06/16 KS Narendran/The Hindu
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MH370 with 239 passengers and crew simply vanished in the early hours of March 8, 2014, leaving governments and the public the world over perplexed, and the passengers’ families anguished. Based on limited data reported to be available, it was concluded that the flight ended somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean, and that the passengers and crew were presumed dead. While Malaysia has been responsible for the overall investigation, Australia is leading the search in the designated search zone, to its west, in the Indian Ocean. The initial search area of 60,000 sq km identified in 2014 was extended and now it spans a total area of 120,000 sq km. The underwater search spread over the last 15 months or so has yielded rich data on topography under the sea but no signs of the aircraft. Just about 15,000 sq km remain to be searched and this is expected to be completed in the next two to three months.
With every sweep of the ocean floor, there is growing pessimism about the outcome of the search, and questions are already being raised about the correctness of the search zone. And there is a growing din to ensure that Malaysia stays committed to the search and investigation well beyond the 120,000-sq km area.
In recent months, notably since the first piece of debris, the flaperon, was located in July 2015 on Le Reunion island off Madagascar, thousands of kilometres from the designated search area, Malaysia’s response to the debris findings has invited harsh criticism for its premature confirmation of it being from MH370 in the case of the flaperon, and inexplicable tardiness in securing those found in the recent weeks and in conveying them for further analysis.
Five pieces of debris found by Blaine Alan Gibson, what look like aircraft parts based on photographs that have been widely circulated, have remained in Madagascar waiting to be claimed by Malaysia. It has been reported that a Malaysian official deputed to secure the items has had his trip cancelled twice for reasons not known. Furthermore, it has just been reported that Malaysia’s Transport Minister has ruled out any connection between the personal belongings found on Riake Beach (the same beach where the other five pieces were found). Both these facts are astounding and convey a sense that Malaysia is less than sincere about its professed commitment to the search and investigation.
There is no word from Malaysia on why it should take weeks rather than days to secure the debris and put it through a thorough analysis. This is inspite of the glare of the media, which have reported these finds extensively, and experts giving the opinion that the finds are certainly worthy of closer examination. Time is of the essence, and one would have expected a government whose moves are watched closely and criticised routinely, to have acted with alacrity. One wonders if this government is impervious to any critique or suggestion, or marches to a different time-scale towards goals that are odds with what it has made public.
28/06/16 KS Narendran/The Hindu
