Malaysia seeks India's assistance to trace missing aircraft

New Delhi, Mar 12:

has sought

's assistance to trace its missing aircraft with 239 people on board even as the Government here initiated the process of appointing designated people to share information and take the matter forward.

"Malaysia has yesterday sought India's assistance in locating the plane. "We are appointing designated people to deal with the issue and also take forward the process of sharing information in this regard," the Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines Boeing-777 plane with 239 people on board, including five Indians, vanished over the South China Sea on Friday one hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

The request by Malaysia for India's assistance to trace the aircraft came as search for it has been expanded to the Andaman Sea. India has a tri-services military command at Andaman and Nicobar islands and Navy and air force carry out regular patrols in the area.

Search and rescue operations for the aircraft which had been mobilised since early Saturday morning have failed to find the jetliner in the South China Sea and authorities have expanded the area of search into the Andaman sea, Malaysian officials said.

Authorities have put the plane's last known point of contact with air-traffic control off eastern Malaysia - roughly midway between Kota Bharu and the southern tip of Vietnam, flying at 35,000 feet.

The search for the missing plane entered the fifth day, as 34 planes, 40 ships and teams from ten countries are scouring the waters on the plane's flight path and beyond to find it.

PTI