Malaysia formally declares dead all people aboard MH370

Malaysia on Thursday officially declared dead
the 239 people aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared
in March, allowing the bereaved to claim compensation, dpa reported.
After 327 days and based on all available data, it was highly
unlikely anyone had survived, said Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, chief of
Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation.
"All 239 of the passengers and crew on board MH370 are presumed to
have lost their lives," he said in a televised statement.
"It is hoped that this declaration will enable the families to obtain
the assistance they need, in particular through the compensation
process," he said.
The airliner disappeared an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur
for Beijing on March 8.
Search operations have focused on the southern Indian Ocean, where
data showed the jetliner was likely to have crashed.