Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 with 239 people on board went missing early on Saturday, March 8, an hour after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing, China.
The initial search operation involved 34 aircraft and 40 ships from several countries covering a 50-nautical mile radius from the point the plane vanished from radar screens between Malaysia and Vietnam.
But the hunt for the missing aircraft has been punctuated by many false leads since it disappeared.
On Friday, the search for the missing passenger jet expanded westward towards the Indian Ocean amid new information that the aircraft may have flown for hours after it dropped off the radar.
The aircraft’s disappearance continues to baffle the international search and rescue teams who have found no remains or clues in the waters surrounding South East Asia. All passengers and crew are currently under investigation for possible sabotage.
Here are 10 sets of images that capture the mystery of Flight MH370.
1. News Conference, March 14
Malaysian Defense Minister and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, center, Department Civil Aviation Department Director General Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, left, and Malaysian Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, right, appear during a press conference at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia.
2. Prayers for the Missing
Top photo: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak offers a prayer for the missing passengers at the mosque in Sepang, Malaysia, on Friday, March 14.
Middle photo: Members of the public, MAS staff, and politicians pray during a special prayer as the search for missing Malaysian airline MH370 expands to the Indian Ocean on Friday, March 14, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Bottom photo: Muslim Boys join in prayers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport for the missing flight Thursday, March 13 in Sepang, Malaysia.
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3. A Shaman Tries His Hand at Locating MH370
Well-known Malaysian shaman Ibrahim Mat Zin, center, uses spiritual methods and prayers in an effort to locate missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on Wednesday, March 12.
4. A Candlelight Vigil in China
Top photo: Chinese students stand around lit candles to pray for the passengers aboard the missing Boeing 777-200 plane at a school in Zhuji City on March 10.
Bottom photo: Chinese students hold up the lit candles during their vigil for the missing plane and passengers.
5. The Stolen Passports
Top photo: Images released by Interpol and displayed by Malaysian police during a news conference in Sepang, Malaysia, on Tuesday, March 11 show an Iranian identified by Interpol as Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad, whom Malaysian authorities say is 19, although Interpol's information indicated an age of 18, left, and 29-year-old Iranian Delavar Seyedmohammaderza. The men boarded the missing plane with stolen passports.
Bottom photo: Italian Luigi Maraldi, left, whose stolen passport was used by a passenger boarding a the missing Malaysian airliner, shows his own passport as he meets with Thai police Lt. Gen. Panya Mamen, right, at Phuket police station in Phuket province, southern Thailand, on Sunday, March 9. Maraldi spoke at a police news conference in the Thai resort of Phuket, where he showed his current passport, which replaced the stolen one. Maraldi expressed surprise that anyone could use his old passport.
6. The Pilot’s Home
Muslim men leave a mosque after Friday prayers, passing the home of Fariq Abdul Hamid, co-pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner MH370 on Friday, March 14 in Shah Alam, Malaysia.
The pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet were a contented middle-aged family man passionate enough about flying to build his own flight simulator, and a 27-year-old contemplating marriage who had just graduated to the cockpit of the Boeing 777. Details about the men have emerged from interviews with neighbors, Malaysia Airlines staff, a religious leader and from social networks and news reports in Malaysia and Australia.
7. Messages of Hope
Top photo: Airport staff move a white board plastered with messages of hope and encouragement to all involved with the missing Malaysia Airlines jet at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Tuesday, March 11.
Bottom photo: A woman reads messages and well-wishes put up for all involved with the missing jetliner on the walls of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Thursday, March 13.
8. The Vigil in Kuala Lumpur
Top photo: Malaysians of ethnic Chinese descent release lanterns with messages for the passengers of the missing plane during a vigil in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 10.
Middle photo: A girl lights a candle next to a message reading "Pray for MH370" as others hold a banner in the background during the vigil.
Bottom photo: People stand with candles and photos of loved ones missing on the flight.
9. The Search Goes On ...
Vietnamese Air Force Col. Pham Minh Tuan watches out from a window on board a flying aircraft during a mission to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the Gulf of Thailand over the location where Chinese satellite images showed possible debris from the missing Malaysian jetliner on Thursday, March 13.
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10. A Mystery That Keeps the World Guessing
Top photo: Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik creates a sculpture depicting the missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft on the beach in Puri, India, on Wednesday, March 12. Malaysia asked for India's assistance in searching for the missing Boeing 777 jetliner to widen the search to an area near the Andaman Sea.
Bottom photo: A man stands under an umbrella near an office building with lights forming the words MH370, the flight number of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday, March 12.
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