China creates search plan for Malaysia Airlines jet

BEIJING - Chief of China's Maritime Search and Rescue Center He Jianzhong said Monday the country has created a plan for the search and rescue of a missing Malaysia Airlines jet.

The search and rescue plan involves four patrol and rescue vessels and two naval warships. The search range of the six ships has also been clarified, said He, who is also vice minister of transport.

Chinese warship Mianyang and a marine police vessel with hull number 3411 have begun searching the sea where the Beijing-bound MH370 flight from Kuala Lumpur might have lost contact, he said.

He said that three more patrol and rescue vessels under the command of the transport ministry are expected to arrive in the area on Monday and Tuesday. Their hull numbers are 115, 31 and 101.

Rescue ship 115 is expected to arrive at around 4 p.m. Monday. The naval warship Jinggangshan and two other patrol and rescue vessels are expected to arrive on Tuesday, he said.

He said that China's maritime search and rescue forces will keep in close contact and cooperate with Malaysian and Vietnamese search forces. China will also mobilize merchant ships to assist with the search.

Contact with the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was lost along with its radar signal at 1:20 am Beijing time on Saturday as it was flying over the Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control area in Vietnam.