Flight MH370 Update: Debris Search In Madagascar To Be Conducted By Next Of Kin

Relatives of those who had boarded the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 are planning to travel to Madagascar to search for debris that might provide clues to the plane's whereabouts. A next of kin association called "Voice370" stated Monday that it will seek help from local organizations to search for debris from the missing jet.

The group repeatedly complained about the lack of a coordinated search in the western Indian Ocean and along the African coast despite the recovery of several pieces of debris that were either confirmed or declared highly likely to have come from the Boeing 777-200 jet.

“Despite these hugely important finds, there has been no systematic, organized search by any responsible party,” the group said. “This leaves the NOKs [next of kin] no other choice except to take it upon ourselves to do something to find answers and closure.”

According to the statement issued by the group, seven Voice370 next of kin will visit Madagascar between Dec. 3 and Dec. 11 to raise awareness and look for debris themselves.

Flight MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

A multimillion-dollar search operation of more than 46,000-square-mile area of a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean has so far yielded no concrete clues. Australian authorities announced last month that the search operation is set to end by early 2017. However, in case of any credible clues found during this time, authorities will plan the next level of the search.

Over the last few months, several debris pieces have been found, of which six pieces have been considered certain or highly likely to have come from the missing Flight MH370.

While several conspiracy theories have surfaced since the plane's disappearance, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is leading the search, said in a report this month that the plane was likely out of control when it plunged into the ocean with its wing flaps not prepared for landing, casting doubt on theories a pilot deliberately crashed the plane.