CANBERRA - The satellite images that have been spotted near Australia are "credible", with the biggest debris about 24 metres, say Australian authorities as the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane enters its second week.
The imagery is credible enough to divert assets to the area, said authorities at a press conference that just concluded.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is co-ordinating the search for the missing plane, said the images were spotted by satellite about 2,500 km south-west of Perth.
A second, smaller object was also spotted.
"The objects are relatively indistinct. The indication to me is of objects that are of a reasonable size and probably awash with water and bobbing up and down over the surface," said Australian Maritime Safety Authority official John Young.
"The largest... was assessed as being 24 metres. There is another one that is smaller than that."
He reiterated that the imagery is not that precise to pinpoint if it was from the plane.
He also said that all resources are now devoted to search in this area and "this is the best lead we have".
The imagery was discovered this morning. He said the weather is moderate but poor visibility may hamper search. Four Australian aircraft have been deployed to the area where the possible debris has been spotted and the first aircraft should be on the scene now.
