China's navy says it has sent additional forces to aid the search effort for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. On Sunday, the "Haikou" destroyer and the "Kunlunshan" amphibious landing ship were dispatched to the waters where flight MH370 was believed to have been when it lost contact with ground control.

Fifty marine troops, along with rescue equipment are on board the Kunlunshan. They will later be joined by two Chinese ship-based helicopters.

Earlier, Chinese coast guard vessel Number 3411 covered a 200-square-kilometer area in the same waters, searching for the plane.

The Chinese merchant ship "Taishunhai" was the first rescue vessel to arrive, beginning its search of the sea south of Vietnam at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Rescue vessel "South China Sea Rescue 101", loaded with a Chinese emergency response team, is ready to sail at Sanya Port in Sanya city of south China's Hainan Province, March 9, 2014. [Xinhua]