BEIJING: The Malaysian Embassy here refuted reports claiming that Malaysia Airlines (MAS) staff were detained by Chinese next of kin of passengers onboard MH370.
"The embassy wishes to clarify that the incident as reported by the media did not take place," it said in a statement.
It was referring to the incident reported by some media that about 10 MAS staff were held by more than 200 relatives at Lido Hotel during the daily briefing session with the family members on April 24.
It was claimed that this was due to their dissatisfaction in obtaining details on the missing aircraft.
The report said the incident occurred at around 3pm at the hotel's ballroom and that the group finally released the MAS staff at 1.44am the next day.
MAS Flight MH370, with 239 people onboard left the KL International Airport at 12.41am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later while over the South China Sea. It was to have arrived in Beijing at 6.30am the same day.
A multinational search was mounted for the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, first in the South China Sea and then, after it was learnt the plane had veered off course in the southern Indian Ocean.
After an analysis of satellite data indicated the plane's last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth, Australia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced on March 24 that Flight MH370 "ended in the southern Indian Ocean". - Bernama
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