亚洲部分国家加入马来西亚航班救援

据新华社报道，马来西亚代理交通部长希沙姆丁·敦·侯赛因8日当天下午在吉隆坡国际机场附近一家酒店举行的资讯发布会上说，目前参与联合搜救的国家有中国、马来西亚、印度尼西亚、新加坡、越南及菲律宾。马来西亚出动了海军空军参与搜救。

据联合早报报道，新加坡空军部队已派遣一架C130大力士运输机协助搜寻失联的马航客机。

据路透社报道，马来西亚首相纳吉布8日说，美国派出飞机和海军舰艇，协助搜索援助马来西亚航空MH370航班失联事故。

据悉，目前搜救行动的参与机构包括马航，马来西亚民航局、皇家空军部队及海军部队，马来西亚海事执行机构，以及泰国，越南，菲律宾，中国，以及包括新加坡与澳洲，英国，马来西亚，新西兰等在内的综合区域方位系统总部，还有美国位于夏威夷的太平洋指挥部。　

马来西亚航空公司代码为MH370吉隆坡至北京航班客机于吉隆坡时间8日0时41分从吉隆坡出发，原定于北京时间6时30分抵达。客机于吉隆坡时间2时40分左右同马来西亚苏邦空中交通控制中心失去联络。

Planes and ships from south-east Asian states have joined forces to search the South China Sea for a Malaysia Airlines jet, missing with 239 people on board.

Flight MH370 vanished at 18:40 GMT Friday (02:40 local time Saturday) after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing, where it was expected at 22:30 GMT.

The aerial search has been halted for the night but sea operations continue.

No wreckage has been reported by the airline, but Vietnamese planes reported seeing oil slicks in the sea.

The Vietnamese government said two slicks, about 15km (9 miles) long, were consistent with those that could be left by an airliner and had been detected off southern Vietnam.

However, there is no confirmation the slicks relate to the missing plane.

Distraught relatives and loved ones of those aboard are being given assistance at the airports.

"We are doing everything in our power to locate the plane," Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the focus was on helping the families of those missing. He said that 80% of the families had been contacted.

The plane reportedly went off the radar south of Vietnam.

Its last known location was off the Ca Mau peninsula although the exact position was not clear.

The Boeing B777-200 aircraft was carrying 227 passengers, including two children, and 12 crew members.

Malaysia's military said a second wave of helicopters and ships had been despatched after an initial search revealed nothing. The US has agreed to help with its aircraft too, Malaysian Prime Minister Najb Razak said.

Territorial disputes over the South China Sea were set aside temporarily as China dispatched two maritime rescue ships and the Philippines deployed three air force planes and three navy patrol ships.

Singapore is also involved, while Vietnam sent aircraft and ships and asked fishermen in the area to report any suspected sign of the missing plane.