Hunt For MH370: India assigned new search area

New Delhi: Malaysia on Wednesday further widened the area of search and asked India to search for the missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean 5,000 nautical miles south and south-west of the Indonesian Capital Jakarta, even as China is reported to have sought permission from India to send four Chinese warships to Indian waters in the Andaman Sea to search for the missing plane.

The Indian Navy confirmed the Malaysian request to New Delhi to search the waters of the southern Indian Ocean for the missing aircraft.

India is now resuming  the search for the missing plane after suspending search operations for three days on the  request of Malaysian authorities.

Meanwhile, according to news agency reports, China has sought permission from India to send Chinese warships including a salvage vessel and two frigates  into Indian waters in the Andaman Sea to locate the plane.

According to these reports, the Centre will consult the armed forces on the matter and take a decision since it may not want Indian naval assets in the Arabian Sea and near the Andaman and  Nicobar Islands to get exposed to Chinese warships.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also assured his Malaysian counterpart of “all assistance” by Indian authorities on Sunday.