China, mutinational team expand search for missing jet

A Malaysian official said on Wednesday that more countries are joining the multinational operation to locate missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 carrying 239 people – including 154 Chinese nationals - and the search area has been expanded, now covering 27,000 square miles in the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.

Crew members fly a Chinese Air Force aircraft on March 12, over the area above Malaysian seas where the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 lost contact. More countries are joining the multinational operation to locate the jet and the search area has been expanded, now covering 27,000 square miles in the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea. [Photo/Xinhua]

Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Bin Tun Hussein also said at a press conference that the operation now involves 42 ships and 39 aircraft, involving 12 countries, with India, Japan and Brunei the latest to join.

Special: Malaysia Airlines plane missing

Also on Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang spoke on the phone with the captain of a naval vessel taking part in the search mission, and he called on the navy to increase its efforts to locate the jet.

Eight Chinese vessels, including three warships, are conducting operations in the waters, but they have not found any debris or objects from the plane.

More ships are expected to reach the waters, and China sent a third military aircraft on Wednesday.

The Chinese air force plane will join the two aircraft sent on Tuesday to probe for black-box signals above waters suspected to be the area where the missing plane lost contact with air control early on Saturday, according to a military spokesman.

China is also using 10 satellites to provide technological support to locate the Boeing 777-200.

The flight - carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members - left Kuala Lumpur at 0:41 am Beijing time and was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 am.

It was flying over the Ho Chi Minh air traffic control area in Vietnam when contact was lost.

The Malaysian authorities have acknowledged they are still unsure which direction the plane was headed when it disappeared. and China has urged Malaysia to coordinate international search and rescue efforts and speed up the search.

"There's too much information and confusion right now. It is very hard for us to decide whether a given piece of information is accurate," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said. "We will not give it up as long as there's still a shred of hope."

Malaysia says last sighting of plane possibly off West Coast	Live Report:Malaysia extended search to the Straits of Malacca