MH370: Malaysia green-lights new search for wreckage in Indian Ocean

The Malaysian Cabinet has approved the resumption of the search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared more than a decade ago. This decision signifies a continued focus on one of aviation history's greatest mysteries and expresses hope of bringing definitive answers to the families of the passengers.

The search will be conducted in a 15,000-square-kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean, under a "no find, no fee" agreement with exploration company Ocean Infinity. According to Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, the company will receive $70 million (approximately £56 million) if it successfully locates the wreckage.

MH370 disappeared in 2014 with 239 people on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite extensive search efforts since the flight's disappearance, no wreckage has ever been found. Previous efforts, including a multinational search costing $150 million (approximately £120 million), were called off in 2017.

In a statement, Loke said, "The government is committed to continuing the search and providing closure to the families of the passengers on MH370." He added that the government understands the families' desire to find the truth and end their suffering. Despite the lack of success in previous searches, the Malaysian government is determined to continue its efforts.

In early March this year, families of the missing Chinese passengers met with officials in Beijing to discuss the resumption of the search for the wreckage and expressed their hope for an independent search. Some relatives expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of direct communication from Malaysian authorities. Li Eryou, a father who lost his 29-year-old son, said, "We were promised that we would be notified immediately, but we can only find this kind of news online. Many families don't even know how to access this information, so they are completely unaware."

Cheng Liping's husband was in Malaysia filming a movie at the time and was on MH370 returning to China. She said she hopes Beijing can strengthen communication with Malaysia to uncover the truth. "Everyone is trapped in pain," she told reporters. "What exactly happened is still unknown."

This new search operation, announced in December last year, has prompted complex reactions from the passengers' families—some calling it a step towards closure, while others describe the news as bittersweet. On the 11th anniversary of the disappearance of MH370, grieving families gathered outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, chanting: "Give us back our loved ones!"