The UAE’s president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has
offered his condolences to leaders in Malaysia and China following the
disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Saturday.
The airline has said it is now “fearing the worst” for the
plane, which was carrying 239 passengers and crew when it vanished from radar
screens off the coast of Vietnam while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
In a statement on official on state news outlet WAM, Sheikh
Khalifa offered “his profound sorrow and solace” to Malaysian king Abdul Halim
Mu’adzam Shah and Chinese president Xi Jinping, as well as the families of
those onboard.
More than 150 passengers on the Boeing 777 flight were
Chinese nationals, with others onboard including Malaysians, Americans,
Australians, Indonesians and Indians.
Naval forces from Malaysia, Vietnam, China and the
Philippines have been dispatched to search for the missing jet, while the US,
Philippines and Singapore have sent military jets to assist in search
operations from the air.
Vietnamese authorities reported seeing two large oil slicks
off the coast of the south-east Asian country, which they said would be
consistent with a plane crash.
Late on Saturday, European officials revealed that two
passengers onboard were using passports apparently stolen from Austrian and
Italian citizens. Malaysian authorities have said they are investigating these
passengers, as well as two more.
“All the four names are with me,” said Malaysia’s
transport and defence minister Hishadmuddin Hussein. “I have indicated to
our intelligence agencies and I have also spoken to international intelligence
agencies for assistance.”
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