MH370: Chinese survey ship to study ocean bed in new search phase

Able Seaman Matthew Tranter-Edwards (left) kneels alongside the Phoenix Autonomous Underwater Vehicle ‘Artemis’ Bluefin-21, on the deck of the Australian navy ship Ocean Shield, berthed at Fleet Base West near Perth on May 5, 2014, as it replenis
Able Seaman Matthew Tranter-Edwards (left) kneels alongside the Phoenix Autonomous Underwater Vehicle ‘Artemis’ Bluefin-21, on the deck of the Australian navy ship Ocean Shield, berthed at Fleet Base West near Perth on May 5, 2014, as it replenishes it's supplies and conducts routine maintenance and software modifications to the underwater vehicle before returning to the search area for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. A Chinese survey ship will conduct a bathymetric study on the ocean floor in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A Chinese survey ship will conduct a bathymetric study on the ocean floor in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Malaysian, Australian and Chinese authorities met over the weekend in Fremantle, Australia, to discuss the bathymetric survey.

The survey will focus on areas provided by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, according to a statement by the Joint Agency Coordination Centre on Monday.

It was decided that Chinese ship Zhu Kezhen would conduct the bathymetric survey and was scheduled to sail for the area on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, ADV Ocean Shield arrived at Geraldton, Western Australia, to begin preparations to receive spare parts related to the transponders mounted on the Ocean Shield and the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, the Bluefin-21.

The repairs are meant to correct a hardware issue affecting the ability of the transponders to communicate during a dive.

The problem became apparent during Bluefin-21's latest mission last Tuesday.

Testing will be conducted at Geraldton prior to the Ocean Shield transiting back to the search area.

Flight MH370, with 239 people on board including 12 crewmembers, 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.

A multinational search was mounted for the Boeing 777-200 aircraft, first in the South China Sea and then, after it was learnt that the plane had veered off course, in the southern Indian Ocean.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.