The search for Malaysia Airline passenger plane MH370 has begun anew in the Indian Ocean more than a decade after it disappeared, Australian media reported.
British company Ocean Infinity has signed a contract with the Malaysian government to search about 15,000 square kilometres of ocean 1,500 kilometres off the coast of Perth.
The new search is much more focused and targeted than previous searches, which covered about 200,000 square kilometres. Ocean Infinity’s search vessel Armada is expected to pay extra attention to four hotspots.
The process is complicated by the bottom topography, which is several kilometres below the ocean surface and includes underwater rocks and volcanoes. In addition, the area is experiencing strong waves due to Cyclone Bianca off the coast of Western Australia.
Jurisdiction over any recovered debris remains in question, including analysis of the black boxes, which will be crucial to understanding what happened to the plane.
MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014. It had 239 people on board. Numerous search operations have been conducted over the years, none of which have been successful.
