MH370 victims’ relatives want more possible debris studied

Relatives of some of the 239 passengers and crew on missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Monday called for more of its possible debris to be examined to define a new search area.

Malaysia, China and Australia had agreed in July that the search in the southern Indian Ocean would be suspended after the current 120,000-sq km  expanse was thoroughly examined with deep sea sonar equipment in the absence of credible new evidence that identified the plane’s location.

Eight relatives of lost passengers, who with Australian officials coordinating the search on behalf of Malaysia, expressed frustration that they were not given a definition of what constituted credible new evidence that would result in a continuation of the search.

American wreckage hunter Blaine Gibson attended the meeting at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau headquarters with the relatives from Malaysia, China, Australia and Indonesia and handed over to investigators five pieces of potential debris that he found on beaches in Madagascar.  Two of the pieces were burnt, which could indicate a disastrous fire on board, he said. Gibson previously found a panel from Flight 370 in Mozambique. Malaysia has yet to collect other potential debris that Blaine has found washed up on Madagascar since June and handed to authorities there.