MAS flight crashed, says Viet Navy

The Vietnamese High Command of Navy has announced that the flight crashed off Vietnam's Tho Chu Island

PETALING JAYA -The Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing Saturday crashed off Vietnam’s Tho Chu Island, northwest off the country’s southernmost Cape Ca Mau, the Vietnamese High Command of Navy announced.

According to a High Command of Navy statement, the plane went down at the waters between Vietnam and Malaysia, some 153 nautical miles (300km) off Tho Chu Island in Kien Giang Province, the Vietnamese Tuoi Tre online news service reported.

“The Naval Zone 5 is ready for the search and rescue mission. There were no immediate reports of casualty,” the news report said.

The flight MH370 disappeared at 2:40 am local time (1840 GMT Friday), about two hours after leaving Kuala Lumpur International Airport, according to AFP. It had been due to arrive in Beijing at 6:30 am local time (2230 GMT Friday).

It was carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, from 13 different nationalities, and 12 crew members. China’s state television said 158 of the passengers were Chinese.
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Vietnamese state-run media reported that the Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing crashed into the sea about some 153 nautical miles off Vietnam's coast, citing the country's navy.

The website of the Tuoi Tre newspaper cited a statement from the Vietnamese navy's high command as saying the plane, which disappeared early Saturday morning, crashed in the waters between Vietnam and Malaysia, about two hours after takeoff.

The plane was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members. More than 150 of the passengers were Chinese nationals.

The Boeing B777-200 departed from Kuala Lumpur 12:41 a.m. local time with 227 passengers and 12 crew members and was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m., Malaysia Airlines said.

Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya told a news conference that the airline lost contact with the aircraft between Malaysian and Vietnamese airspace and that there were no reports of bad weather along the route. Mr. Ahmad said the missing aircraft didn't send a distress signal and had enough fuel to fly an extra two hours.

Source: Wall Street Journal