Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester has on Monday thanked the crew of the Fugro Equator -- the vessel which, for three years, was searching for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, China's Xinhua news agency reported.
Following the suspension of the deep-sea ocean search for the aircraft last week, Chester and Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai met with the crew of the search vessel in Western Australia.
Chester said although the aircraft was not found within the 120,000 square kilometer search zone, it was "very important" to thank the crew for their tireless efforts over the past three years.
"This has been an extraordinary search effort in some of the most inhospitable seas on Earth," Chester told the press on Monday.
The transport minister said it was easy to think of the search vessel as just scientific equipment and not as manpower. According to the government, crew members were often searching the Southern Indian Ocean for weeks at a time, often in treacherous conditions.
"As I've said before, the search for MH370 has been at the cutting edge of technology and scientific expertise, but also a heroic human endeavor," Chester told the press from Western Australia.
"Having not found the aircraft does not indicate failure. It indicates that the aircraft is not in that 120,000 square kilometer search area."
Chester said while the ocean search had been suspended, work was ongoing in assessing satellite photos and debris which may have washed up on shore.
"If any more debris comes forward, we will work with our Malaysian counterparts in assessing debris of interest. Work is also going on in terms of further analysis of satellite imagery," Chester said.
Meanwhile Liow said while it was upsetting that the missing Boeing 777 aircraft was not in the search zone, the "commitment, professionalism and dedication" shown by the crew was admirable.
He said the Malaysian government was extremely thankful for their hard work, as well as the efforts of both the Chinese and Australian governments in searching for the jetliner.
"On behalf of Malaysia, I would like to once again say thank you to the crew members, the Australian government and the Chinese government for their support in the search for MH370," Liow told the press.
"We are very sad that we couldn't locate the aircraft."
"The crew told us the difficulty they faced in the deep sea waters. Sometimes they faced four straight days of waves, or strong winds of up to 140 km/h. They had to be there to face these challenges."
Last week, a statement from the Chinese, Malaysian and Australian governments said the search would be suspended indefinitely as it had "not been able to locate the aircraft", however it also said if "credible new evidence" was found which could point to the location of the airplane, the search could resume.
MH370 was a scheduled passenger flight bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. It disappeared on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board. -- Bernama
Bernama
Mon Jan 23 2017
Darren Chester (L), Liow Tiong Lai (C) and Minister of Transport China, Yang Chuantang (R) during a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya on July 22, 2016. - Filepic
AWANI Pagi: Kesan kesihatan makan lewat malam
Benarkah dakwaan makan lewat malam boleh mengakibatkan masalah kesihatan dan obesiti, hingga wujud desakan kedai makan 24 jam dilarang beroperasi 24 jam? Ikuti penjelasannya bersama Prof Dr Norhasmah Sulaiman, Profesor Jabatan Pemakanan, Fakulti Perubatan dan Sains, Kesihatan Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Amnesty gesa universiti AS tarik balik tindakan keras terhadap protes Gaza
Dalam satu laporan, badan pemantau hak asasi mengutuk penindasan ke atas pelajar yang melakukan protes terhadap perang di Gaza.
Ruhainies mohon maaf kepada Bella Astillah, luah hasrat untuk bertemu
"Dengan rasa rendah hati, saya ingin mohon maaf kepada Bella Astillah atas segalanya yang telah berlaku."
Universiti perlu tapis aktiviti namun tidak sehingga ganggu keterbukaan, autonomi - Pakar
Abu Hafiz berpandangan ia perlu dilaksana bagi mengelakkan kontroversi khususnya membabitkan isu sensitif serta polisi negara.
'Man Kubur' tolak rasa malu, teruskan legasi ayah hasilkan kepok kubur
Dikman mengakui minat terhadap pembuatan kepok timbul sejak di bangku sekolah rendah lagi apabila sering membantu bapanya di bengkel.
UTM lancar Hab Malaysia Erasmus+
Ia bermatlamat meningkatkan kerjasama antara universiti dan diplomat yang mampu memberi panduan kepada pihak dalam sektor pendidikan tinggi.
Ancaman bom: Pusat Kargo KLIA gempar ancaman bom, rupanya laptop
Pusat Kargo Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) gempar apabila mesin pengimbas menerima bungkusan tertera ayat ancaman bom, pada Khamis
WFP: Utara Gaza diancam kebuluran kritikal
Timbalan Pengarah Eksekutif Program Makanan Sedunia (WFP), Carl Skau, menegaskan perlunya lebih banyak akses bantuan untuk mengatasi masalah kebuluran yang kritikal di utara Gaza.
Tentera AS mula pembinaan jeti sementara di Gaza
Tentera Amerika Syarikat memulakan pembinaan jeti sementara bagi penghantaran bantuan ke Gaza, diumumkan oleh Setiausaha Akhbar Jabatan Pertahanan, Patrick Ryder.
Kekejaman zionis: Penemuan kubur besar di Hospital Gaza perlu disiasat
Pasukan pertahanan awam Palestin gesa Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) menyiasat penemuan hampir 400 mayat dari kubur besar di hospital di Gaza selepas tentera Israel meninggalkan fasiliti kesihatan itu.
Kapal China sambung semula misi pencarian MH370
Kapal China, Dong Hai Jiu 101 akan menggerakkan misi untuk mendapatkan kembali peralatan sonar (SLH-ProSAS-60 towfish) yang terjatuh ke dasar laut.