KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — The search for Flight MH370 is now at a “critical juncture”, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today.
With the search now into its 43rd day, the acting transport minister also appealed to everyone to pray that a drone submersible deployed in the Indian Ocean hunt will succeed in unearthing any sign of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane's wreckage.
“The search for today and tomorrow is at a critical juncture. We appeal for everybody around the world to pray that we find something,” he told reporters here.
Hishammuddin said the remote-controlled sub, Bluefin-21, started its seventh mission this morning.
“With regards to the location, today and tomorrow it is imperative that we focus because the JACC and all the experts have narrowed the area of search to what we are looking at today and tomorrow,” he said.
Australia, which is leading the Indian Ocean search, has said the robot sub will complete its undersea probe in the next five to seven days.
Today, Hishammuddin refuted news reports that it would take up to two months for the Bluefin-21, carrying conar gear, to complete analysing the immediate search area.
He said the analysis would be completed by next week.
The defence minister also stressed that search operations would not stop but the authorities would have to consider other approaches which may include widening the scope of the search and utilising other assets.
“All efforts will be intensified for the next few days with regards to the underwater search,” he said.
