The government of Malaysia on Thursday formally declared the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident as defined by Annexes 12 and 13 of the Chicago Convention, clearing the way for next of kin to pursue compensation for the deaths of the 239 passengers and crewmembers.
Speaking in Kuala Lumpur during a Thursday afternoon briefing, Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation director general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman declared all the airplane’s occupants presumed lost.
“Without in any way intending to diminish the feelings of the families, it is hoped that this declaration will enable the families to obtain the assistance they need, in particular through the compensation process,” he said.
Rahman also insisted that the search for MH370 remains a priority, and that the government of Malaysia would continue “reasonable efforts to bring closure to this unfortunate tragedy.”
Four vessels continue the underwater search in the remote area of the Indian Ocean where the Boeing 777-200 presumably went down on March 8. DTo date the search has covered more than 7,180 square miles.