Acting Transport Minister is mulling on asking for asset assistance from Sapura Kencana to help verify claims made by GeoResonance, an Australian based company involved in marine exploration.
On April 28, the company claims that its research identified elements on the ocean floor in the Bay of Bengal consistent with material from a Boeing 777 aircraft, the very same type of aircraft that went missing since March 8.
“We identified chemical elements and materials that make up a Boeing 777… these are aluminium, titanium, copper, steel alloys and other materials,” Pavel Kursa, a spokeman from GeoResonance was quoted saying.
GeoResonance’s company scientists reportedly searched two million square kilometres of the possible crash area with the use of over 20 technologies, including a nuclear reactor, to analyse satellite data and aircraft images to trace the missing Boeing 77-200ER’S last known location.
“Our team was very excited when we found what we believe to be the wreckage of a commercial airliner,” another GeoResonance spokesman, David Pope, was quoted saying.
Pope said the company’s experts compared their findings with images taken on March 5, three days before Flight MH370 was reported missing — and they did not find what they had detected at that spot.
“The wreckage wasn’t there prior to the disappearance of MH370. We’re not trying to say that it definitely is MH370, however it is a lead we feel should be followed up,” Pope told
Australian authorities on April 30 dismissed claims by the marine exploration company that material found in the Bay of Bengal could be from missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370.
“The location of MH370 suggested by the GeoResonance report (in the Bay of Bengal) is not in the Australian search and rescue zone,” a spokesman for the government agency told.
“The Australian led search is relying on information from satellite and other data to determine the missing aircraft’s location. The location specified by the GeoResonance report is not within the search arc derived from this data.
“The joint international team is satisfied that the final resting place of the missing aircraft is in the southerly portion of the search arc.”
Nevertheless, Malaysia’s Acting Transport Minister said,“But, I just want to stress that by doing that, we are distracting ourselves from the main search.
“If we went there and the result from the search was negative, who is going to be responsible for that loss of time? Having more vessels out there (Bay of Bengal) will affect the search in the (current) area,” he added.
Sapura Kencana Petroleum Well Services’s subsidary, Total Marine Technology (TMT) had earlier gave a glimpse of what the company’s Typhoon Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) could offer to the search operation. (here)
Nevertheless, three Bangladeshi navy ships have begun searching the Bay of Bengal for traces of the missing aircraft, but have yet to find anything, a Bangladeshi commander said on May 2.
The ships are operating off a tip from GeoResonance that claims to have found possible traces of an underwater airplane wreck in the area.
“We haven’t found anything yet, and the frigates will continue the search until they verify all available information,” Commodore Rashed Ali, director of Bangladeshi navy intelligence, told.
According to JACC Chief Coordinator, retired ACM Angus Houston said currently, three Bangladeshi navy ships were scouring the area, with one of the ships equipped with echo sound capability to assist in ensuring a thorough search in that particular area.
Bangladeshi Navy had previously on March deployed BNS Omar Faruq and BNS Bangabandhu, as well as two of its RUAG Do-228NG MPA while SAROPS was conducted over the Straits of Melaka and the Bay of Bengal. (here)
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