80 percent of underwater search for missing jet completed

The Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has completed 80 percent of the planned underwater search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 with no signs so far of the jet, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said Tuesday.

"The search will continue. We are currently consulting very closely with our international partners on the best way to effect this for the future," the JACC told Xinhua Tuesday.

The Bluefin-21 completed mission eight in the underwater search area and its ninth mission commenced Monday.

The focused underwater search area is defined as a circle of 10 km radius around the second Towed Pinger Locator detection of April 8.

According to the JACC, it is important that this lead is pursued to its completion so they can either confirm or discount the focused underwater area as the final resting place of MH370.

"This is clearly of great importance to the families of those on board," the JACC said.

The JACC also said that the planned air search activities had been suspended Tuesday due to poor weather conditions.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished mysteriously about an hour after taking off for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur shortly after midnight March 8.

The Boeing 777-200ER was scheduled to land in Beijing the same day. The 227 passengers on board included five Indians, 154 Chinese and 38 Malaysians.