MH370 Loss An 'Accident' - All On Board 'Dead'

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Malaysia has officially declared the loss of flight MH370 was an accident and all on board are dead.

The announcement was in accordance with civil aviation rules, said Malaysia's aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, adding that the announcement ends the search for the aircraft and would help families of those on board to apply for compensation.

"It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that we officially declare Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident," said Mr Azharuddin in a broadcast on Malaysian television.

"We officially declare Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 an accident and that all 239 of the passengers and crew onboard are presumed to have lost their lives," he added.

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Gallery: MH370: Timeline Of False Hopes

March 8: At 9am, an hour after flight MH370 is reported missing, rumours spread online that it has landed safely in China

March 8: Search planes spot two oil slicks in the South China Sea but tests show the fuel is not from an aircraft

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March 9: Vietnam search plane spots mystery objects in the South China Sea but they turn out to be unrelated to MH370

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March 10: A moss-covered piece of floating sea debris is mistaken for a yellow life raft

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March 11: Two MH370 passengers travelling with stolen passports are identified as illegal immigrants from Iran and are no longer suspected of terrorist activity

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International Civil Aviation rules state the definition of the term "accident" includes "the aircraft is missing" and an aircraft is considered to be missing when the official search has been terminated and no wreckage has been found.

Mr Azharuddin said international search teams had spared no expense in their search for the plane, that every credible lead had been pursued, and all available data that tracked the plane to a corner of the southern Indian Ocean had been reviewed.

But Sarah Bajc, whose partner Philip Wood was on board the plane, rejected the announcement.

"I think they are lying," she said. "It could very well be that the plane crashed. But there is no evidence, and until there is evidence we just can't believe them," she said referring to the Malaysian government and airline.

"It is impossible to bring any closure until we have proof," she added.

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Gallery: Missing Passengers Of Flight MH370

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Stuntman Ju Kun, 35, was travelling to Beijing to see his two young children before starting work on the new Netflix and Weinstein Company series Marco Polo in Malaysia.

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A government news conference scheduled in Putrajaya today was cancelled after some of the victims' relatives arrived unannounced.

Some families have accused the Malaysian government and Malaysia Airlines of a chaotic response to the plane's initial diversion, which allowed it to disappear, and a subsequent cover-up; charges Kuala Lumpur and the airline strenuously deny.

Flight MH370 vanished on Saturday, 8 March, 2014, during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in China and no trace of the plane, passengers or crew has been found despite extensive searches.

Malaysian authorities say satellite data suggests the plane inexplicably detoured from its agreed route likely due to "deliberate" action on board.

But no firm evidence has been uncovered, despite an ongoing Australian-led search of the supposed crash region - the most expensive search and rescue operation in history.

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