Search for missing Malaysia Airlines plane

PLEASE NOTE THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3

Friends and relatives of some of those on board the Malaysia Airlines flight to Beijing gathered at the airport in the Chinese capital anxiously waiting for news.

Flight MH 370 from Kuala Lumpur last had contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of Kota Bharu in Malaysia.

The Boeing 777-200 plane was carrying 227 and 12 crew.

Malaysia Airlines' group chief executive officer said a search was underway involving Malaysian, Vietnamese and Chinese authorities.

(SOUNDBITE)(English) GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AHMAD JAUHARI YAHYA, SAYING:

"We are working with authorities who have activated the search and rescue team to locate the aircraft. Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crews."

Most of the passengers on board the missing plane are Chinese.

The airline said other nationalities included Malaysian, Indonesian, Austra