Malaysia on Wednesday further widened the search area and asked India to hunt for the missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean 5,000 nautical miles south and south-west of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. China, meanwhile, is reported to have sought permission from India to send four Chinese warships to Indian waters in the Andaman Sea to search for the missing plane.
The Indian Navy confirmed the Malaysian request to search the waters of the southern Indian Ocean for the missing aircraft. India is now resuming the search for the plane after suspending search operations for three days at the request of the Malaysian authorities.
News agency reports said China has sought permission from India to send Chinese warships, including a salvage vessel and two frigates, into Indian waters in the Andaman Sea to locate the plane. The government, it is learnt, will consult the armed forces on the matter and take a decision since it may not want Indian naval assets in the Arabian Sea and near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to get exposed to Chinese warships.
The Malaysian authorities are formulating a new strategy on search operations for the missing aircraft and earlier requested India Sunday to suspend the search till further communication between the two countries.