The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has been widened, now covering a massive area that takes in sea and land.<br /><br />Officials admit they face a difficult task because of the thousands of kilometres that need to be searched, with different theories on the aircraft’s possible flight path. <br /><br />Searches continued around the Gulf of Thailand, but Malaysia is also focusing on the Straits of Malacca, where the plane was possibly picked up on a military radar.<br /><br />Hishammuddin Hussein, the Malaysian Transport Minister, told reporters: “It’s probably one of the largest search and rescue operations, but what is sobering for me is the large and massive area that we need to cover.”<br /><br />As the search and rescue efforts went into their fourth day, more families of the 239 passengers and crew arrived in Malaysia to await news of their loved ones.
