Malaysia Airlines plane looses contact, 239 missing

A Beijing-bound plane of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) carrying 239 people including two infants lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control in Malaysia today, a statement said.
Operating on the B777-200 aircraft, the MH 370 departed Kuala Lumpur today at 12:41am (1010 pm IST) and lost touch with the ATC around 2:40 am (1210 am IST).
The flight having 239 people including 12 crew members onboard was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 am.
Malaysia Airlines said it is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft.
The Airlines has had an excellent track record, it said.

Meanwhile, the China Civil Aviation Administration (CCAA) has confirmed that over 150 of the passengers were Chinese nationals.

So far, the plane has not contacted Chinese air traffic management department or entered China's airspace, state run Xinhua news agency reported.
"The news is very disturbing. We hope everyone on the plane is safe," said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
He said that China's Foreign Ministry and the related departments had activated emergency response mechanism.
"As soon as we have any more information, we will give it to you immediately," he said.