MH370 thought likely to have flown into Indian Ocean

Last night a source close to the investigation told Reuters that authorities probing the jet's disappearance believed it most likely flew into the southern Indian Ocean.

That view was based on the lack of any evidence from countries along the northern corridor that the plane entered their airspace, and the failure to find any trace of wreckage in searches in the upper part of the southern corridor.

"The working assumption is that it went south, and furthermore that it went to the southern end of that corridor," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

China, which is leading the northern corridor search with Kazakhstan, said it had not yet found any sign of the aircraft crossing into its territory.

Malaysian and US officials believe the aircraft was deliberately diverted perhaps thousands of miles off course, but an exhaustive background search of the passengers and crew aboard has not yielded anything that might explain why.

Last week, a source familiar with official US assessments said it was thought most likely the plane flew south, where it presumably would have run out of fuel and crashed into the sea.

Overcome relatives grow angry with bungled investigation

Malaysian authorities have launched an investigation after anguished Chinese relatives of passengers on the missing flight stormed into a media centre in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday, calling on authorities to "give us back our families".

Two-thirds of the 239 people on the missing flight are Chinese and the drip feed of often conflicting information has sparked fury among desperate relatives and drawn condemnation from Chinese authorities.

Amid chaotic scenes, the relatives were besieged by camera-wielding reporters awaiting the start of a daily press briefing by Malaysian officials on the search for the missing aircraft.

Shouting and crying, the relatives unfurled a banner that accused the Malaysian authorities of withholding information and not doing enough to find the plane.

"They give different messages every day. Where's the flight now? We can't stand it anymore," one woman wailed.