Underwater search for Malaysian jet gets halfway, nothing found

Photo released by the Australian Defence Department shows Phoenix International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Artemis begins its dive in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Bluefin-21 has searched approximately 50 percent of the focused underwater search area and no contacts of interest have been found to date. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

PERTH, AUSTRALIA: Bluefin-21 has searched approximately 50 percent of the focused underwater search area and no contacts of interest have been found to date, the Joint Agency Coordination Center (JACC) confirmed in its latest update on Sunday.

According to the JACC, Bluefin-21 completed mission seven in the underwater search area early Sunday morning. To date, it has searched approximately 50 percent of the focused underwater search area. And the eighth mission has commenced. "No contacts of interest have been found to date, “the JACC confirmed.

The focused underwater search area is defined as a circle of 10km radius around the second Towed Pinger Locator detection which occurred on April 8.

In addition, 11 military aircraft and 12 ships will assist in Sunday's search which might be hampered by scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms in some areas.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has planned a visual search area totalling some 48,507 square kilometres across two areas.

-Xinhua