Malaysia Airlines has formally declared MH370 as an accident and all those on board are now officially presumed dead.
The announcement comes almost a year after the plane disappeared from the skies.
The Boeing 77-200ER carrying 227 passenger and 12 crew members lost contact with ground control on 8 March last year during a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport.
Last contact with officials was made less than an hour after takeoff while it was flying over the South China Sea.
It disappeared from radar screens at 1.21am, however, Malaysian military radar tracked the plane and found it deviated off path, crossing the Malay Peninsula and over the Andaman Sea.
#MH370 RIP those poor innocent people, there souls are at rest now. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/wXd7meWgQR
— Grand Piano (@BirminghamBarb) January 29, 2015
The plane is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Western Australia.
Since, search teams have scoured the seas searching for the plane, finding no debris or signs of its whereabouts.
In an online statement, Malaysia Airlines declared the plane’s disappearance was an ‘accident’ and there are no survivors.
The airline has started contacting next-of-kin to proceed with compensation plans.
#Malaysia officially ends search for #MH370 plane http://t.co/rx5GVu5dqk h/t @MylifeinwordsUK cc: @morgfair accident? pic.twitter.com/fRHjdxWxeZ — Shi Hakel, MSc (@ShiCooks) January 29, 2015
However, families in China – where the majority of passengers came from – are refusing to accept the airline’s official position.
Wen Wancheng told Associated Press she believes Malaysia authorities have been covering up the truth and she will not accept the conclusion.
“Because you have no evidence at all. How can you come to such a conclusion?”
Wen Wancheng
The brother of one of the passengers, Li Jingxin said the same, asking how can they make an announcement when they have no evidence.
Despite their denial of the statement, Malaysia Airlines said it is ensuring families are fairly compensated in accordance with the applicable laws.
The airline also deployed further resources at its Family Support Centre set up in Kuala Lumpur and additional phone lines have been installed for families around the world.