Missing Malaysian Plane #MH370 Latest: China locates 'large debris' in Indian Ocean

Chinese authorities have found a large piece of debris during the search for missing flight MH370, Malaysia's transport minister said today.

Hishammuddin Hussein said Chinese satellites had located an unknown object measuring 98ft long by 72ft wide in the remote southern Indian Ocean area where searches have been concentrated.

He made the announcement after being handed a handwritten notes during a daily press conference on updates in the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines airliner.

He gave no further information, except to say that Chinese authorities would make an official announcement 'in a couple of hours'.

Chinese state media meanwhile reported that the images were taken at lunchtime on the March 18 - four days ago, and covered a site 120km to the west of where Australian satellite pictures sighted apparent debris.

Reports also stated that the debris spotted was 13m wide, not 30m as was reported by Mr Hussein, suggesting that the message had become slightly garbled in translation.

The announcement came after the first Australian Orion aircraft to make a sortie over the target zone for missing Flight MH370 has returned without success.