The search for a missing Malaysian passenger jet might be widened, with more assets deployed in the Indian Ocean following six weeks of searching without positive results, a Malaysian official said Saturday, according to dpa. Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said authorities would reassess operations next week when a US Navy submersible drone is expected to complete the seabed mapping of an area in the Indian Ocean where the missing plane was believed to have crashed. "I have to stress that this is not to stop operations, but to also consider other approaches, which may include widening the scope of the search and utilizing other assets that could be relevant in the search operation," he said in a briefing in Kuala Lumpur. "The asset deployment committee has identified private companies that have the capabilities for deep-water salvage and recovery work and other national assets that can be deployed to support this operation," he added. Hishammuddin said the next 48 hours would be crucial, as the next phase of the search would be planned based on the results of the seabed mapping conducted by the US Navy's drone, the Bluefin-21. "I can confirm that the Bluefin-21 has captured clear and sharp images of the seabed while conducting search mission in the underwater search area," he said. "However, in all six missions conducted, no contacts of interest have been found to date." "Let's pray something positive comes out of what is happening right now and if that happens then that [new] planning will not be required," he added. Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 was carrying 239 people when it went missing on March 8 en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. More than 150 of the passengers were Chinese nationals. Malaysian authorities said initial investigation showed that the Boeing 777-200 was deliberately diverted from its flight path before it was thought to have crashed in the Indian Ocean. Aside from the underwater search, up to 11 military aircraft and 12 ships are also helping in the operations to locate the missing jetliner, according to the Australian-led Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) in Perth.
