Taiwan sends military aircraft, frigate on search mission
ROC Central News Agency
2014/03/10 18:43:48
Taipei, March 10 (CNA) A Taiwanese military frigate and a military plane on Monday were sent to waters between Malaysia and Vietnam to help look for a Malaysia Airlines plane that disappeared off the coast of Vietnam early Saturday, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The Chengkung-class frigate set off from Magong Naval Base in outlying Penghu County, while the Air Force dispatched a C-130 transport plane from a base in Pingtung County, the ministry said in a statement.
'The military will do its utmost to help search for the plane with its frigate and aircraft,' the statement read.
The ministry has also asked the Navy and the Air Force to beef up their patrol missions in the South China Sea in an effort to help search for the missing plane.
The military initiative came in addition to two patrol vessels dispatched to the search area by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Monday, after President Ma Ying-jeou urged the military and Coast Guard to join international search-and-rescue efforts.
The Coast Guard vessels are expected to reach the search area, which is more than 1,000 nautical miles away, around midday Friday, CGA head Wang Ginn-wang said.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared from radar screens about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing early Saturday.
Air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft, which was carrying 227 passengers -- including Taiwanese national Chuang Hsiu-ling -- and a 12-member crew, as it was flying over the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam.
As of Monday afternoon, no debris from the plane had been discovered, leaving perplexed investigators without any clues to help them determine what happened.
(By Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/ls
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