KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 — Twelve families filed lawsuits here this morning against Malaysian Airline System Berhad (MAS) over the loss of their loved ones on board Flight MH370, the ill-fated jetliner that went missing from radar screens nearly two years ago.

Lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who is acting for 10 families, said eight of the lawsuits involve clients from Malaysia, while two involves clients from Russia and China.

The Malaysians filed separate lawsuits over the loss of passengers Anne Catherine Daisy, Guan Hua Jin, Muzi Yusop, Sim Keng Wei, Suhaili Mustafa, Tan Teik Hin, Wan Hock Khoon and Yap Chee Meng.

The other two lawsuits are for Chinese passenger Ju Kun and the sole Russian passenger Nikolai Brodskii.

Sangeet told reporters that the 10 families are suing MAS for an unspecified sum for negligence, breach of contract and breach of statutory duties.

She said all 10 lawsuits name four others as respondents — the Malaysian government, Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB), the director-general of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and the commander of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

Lawyer Yeoh Cho Kheong, on the other hand, is handling the two remaining lawsuits filed against MAS by the families of two Ukrainian passengers.

The lawsuit over the loss of Ukrainian Oleg Volodymyrovych Chustrak was filed by his widow Tetiana Yevhenivna Chustrak, his son Yevhen Olegovych Chustrak and his two other sons, who are still minors.

The other lawsuit for Ukraine citizen Sergii Grygorovych Deineka was filed by his widow Natalia Viktorivna Bragina-Deineka, his daughter Yelyzaveta Sergiivna Deineka, his parents Olena Vasylivna Deineka and Grygoriy Nikandrovych Deineka.

Relatives of passengers who were aboard missing Flight MH370, leave court during a hearing for a compensation suit brought against the Malaysian government and Malaysia Airlines over claims of negligence and breach of trust, in Kuala Lumpur on March 4, 2016.

According to the two separate statements of claim filed, Oleg and Sergii were both 44 at the time of their presumed death and were both said to be earning roughly US$2 million (RM8.2 million) annually.

Yeoh said they were both business partners in a firm dealing with furniture.

“Because of their death — they are key players in the company — the company is now floundering, not making money anymore, so we hope to seek some justice,” he told reporters here, also confirming that the two Ukrainian businessmen were on a business trip.

Both their families said they suffered loss of financial support, bereavement and had to bear funeral expenses.

They said MAS was liable for the death of their loved ones but did not specify the amount of damages sought from the airline.

The two-year deadline for families to file for legal claims against the airline over the loss of their loved ones on Flight MH370 will expire on the flight’s second anniversary on March 8, next Tuesday.

On January 29, 2015, Malaysia said that Flight MH370 was declared an accident under international aviation regulations, and all 239 people on board the flight were presumed dead.