Image #: 28283032    epa04138872 Relatives hold a candlelight vigilance for the passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines airliner MH370 in Beijing, China, 24 March 2014. The search is being conducted in an area 2,500km off the South West coast of Perth after the Malaysian Airways aircraft went missing on 08 March whilst on a flight between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. An Australian surveillance aircraft on 24 March spotted two objects in the southern Indian Ocean that could be related to the missing Malaysian jet, raising hope of locating the aircraft after more than two weeks of search. Ten aircrafts in total are scouring a 59,000-square-kilometre patch of sea between Australia and Antarctica for a clue that could lead to the location of the missing plane.  Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777-200 disappeared on 08 March 2014 from radar as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.  EPA/MARK WONG/EPA/LANDOV
Flight 'ended in southern Indian Ocean'
03:22 - Source: CNN

Story highlights

"With deep sadness... I must inform you that... MH370 ended" in Indian Ocean, PM says

Najib says Malaysia Airlines has spoken to passengers' and crews' families

Prime Minister says data came from Inmarsat and British accident investigation board

CNN  — 

The full statement delivered by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak concerning Malaysia Airlines MH370 Monday:

“This evening I was briefed by representatives from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch – or AAIB. They informed me that Inmarsat, the UK company that provided the satellite data which indicated the northern and southern corridors, has been performing further calculations on the data. Using a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort, they have been able to shed more light on MH370’s flight path.

“Based on their new analysis, Inmarsat and the AAIB have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor, and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth. This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites.

“It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean. 

“We will be holding a press conference tomorrow with further details. In the meantime, we wanted to inform you of this new development at the earliest opportunity. We share this information out of a commitment to openness and respect for the families, two principles which have guided this investigation.

“Malaysia Airlines have already spoken to the families of the passengers and crew to inform them of this development. For them, the past few weeks have been heartbreaking. I know this news must be harder still. I urge the media to respect their privacy, and to allow them the space they need at this difficult time.”