Australian authorities released their first update on the latest underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Wednesday, saying more than 670 square km had been searched without success.

The jet, which was carrying 239 people, vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, and no sign of the jet has been found despite a massive air and sea search.

Flight MH370, which is believed to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean after inexplicably veering off course, is now the subject of a renewed underwater hunt far off Western Australia state.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is leading the search, said the Malaysian-contracted vessel GO Phoenix was continuing to conduct underwater search operations.

The underwater search began on Oct 6 and followed a survey to map the seabed. About 127,000 square km of the search zone has been mapped so far.

Modern vehicles attached to the ship by tow cables have been programed to detect the biggest parts of the aircraft likely to be in one piece, such as engines and the fuselage.

GO Phoenix is searching the area considered the most likely final resting place of the plane, based on detailed analysis of the aircraft's satellite communications.

A second ship, the Fugro Discovery, is expected to join the search next week.

Australia has been spearheading the hunt for the plane, a dauntingly vast task that has been beset by false leads and initial confusion -to the continued frustration of grieving relatives.

(China Daily 10/16/2014 page11)