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New data from a French satellite shows potential debris from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370
in the southern Indian Ocean, France's foreign ministry says.
Radar echoes had picked up several objects about 2,300km (1,430 miles) from Perth, a
statement added. It is the third possible sighting in the area
off western Australia that has become the focus of the search effort.
Flight MH370 disappeared on 8 March while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with
239 people on board. Malaysian officials believe the plane was
deliberately taken off course. Based on information received from a satellite,
the search has been in two distinct corridors - one stretching to the north-west of the
last known location in the Malacca Straits and one to the south-west.
However, none of the countries on the northern corridor have reported any radar contact,
and the satellite images of possible debris in the south Indian Ocean have concentrated
the search there. 'No sightings'
On Sunday, a statement published on the Malaysian ministry of transport's Facebook page said:
"This morning, Malaysia received new satellite images from the French authorities showing
potential objects in the vicinity of the southern corridor.
"Malaysia immediately relayed these images to the Australian rescue co-ordination centre."
An unnamed Malaysian official told the Associated Press that the new satellite image was taken
on Friday, and that one of the potential objects was estimated to be about the same size as
one spotted by a Chinese satellite that appeared to be 22m (72ft) by 13m (43ft).
The possible debris was located about 930km (575 miles) north of where the objects reported
by China and Australia over the past week, the official added.
A French foreign ministry statement said the objects were about 2,300km from Perth, but
did not give a direction or say when the discovery was made.
It also clarified that the French authorities had passed on data in the form of "satellite-generated
radar echoes" rather than images. Radar works by sending out radio waves or microwaves and
listening for echoes that bounce back. "France has decided to mobilise complementary
satellite means to continue the search in the identified zone," the ministry statement
added. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa)
subsequently announced that that the search operation in the southern Indian Ocean had
concluded for the day.