KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Families of those on board missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 maintained they will not accept any declaration of the passengers’ fate without physical evidence, amid rumours that authorities will make a declaration on the matter soon.

According to Voice370, a group claiming to be a “support organisation” for those with family on the missing plane, Australian authorities leading the hunt have given their assurance that they will continue looking until the 60,000 sq km search area is fully scoured.

They then insisted that Putrajaya hold off on deciding the plane and passengers’ fates until the search is completed and the plane found.

“We have stated it before and reiterate it again, that we are prepared for any eventuality, including the fact that our loved ones may never come back.

“However, almost all families are unanimous in our stand that we do not want to declare our loved ones dead, without a shred of evidence!” the group said in a statement today.

The group claimed of reports that the Malaysian government will make a major announcement on MH370 tomorrow, saying this has caused fear and uncertainty among family members of the plane’s passengers.

News agency Reuters today reported Deputy Transport Minister Aziz Kaprawi as saying the Department of Civil Aviation will release an interim report on the investigation into the missing plane on March 7, a day before the one-year anniversary of the disappearance.

Retired Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who had led Australia’s response to MH370 and downed flight MH17 in Ukraine, on Monday said it was possible that the missing plane might never be found.

“The ocean is a huge place. The water is very, very deep and it’s possible it won’t be found,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Beijing-bound Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board and remains missing till today.