Vietnam finds no fragments spotted by Hong Kong aircraft

Vietnamese naval ship has examined waters off southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province without finding any fragments earlier spotted by a Hong Kong commercial aircraft, Vietnam's National Committee for Search and Rescue said here Tuesday.

The naval ship HQ888 found no fragments as was earlier reported on suspicion of being part of a missing Malaysian jet, Vietnamese state news agency VNA quoted the committee as saying.

Hong Kong Air Traffic Management Division informed the committee late on Monday afternoon that a commercial aircraft spotted several large fragments off southern Vietnamese coast.

In addition, Vietnam decided Tuesday to expand the search scope from sea to inland area.

Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of Vietnamese army, said Vietnam will search along two flight routes, from Hon Khoai in Ca Mau province to Ho Chi Minh City, as well as provinces in southwest, southeast and south central parts of Vietnam.

The country will deploy forces to comb mountainous and forest areas, Tuan told reporters at the National Committee for Search and Rescue.

Vietnam also ordered relevant agencies to coordinate with Cambodia and Laos in searching border areas.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 operated on a Boeing 777-200, carrying 12 crew members and 227 passengers including 154 Chinese, went missing on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in the wee hours of Saturday.