Family members walking into the holding area at Level 5 in KLIA, March 8, 2014. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — The missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 carrying 239 people has crashed off the Tho Chu island in Vietnam, leading local daily Tuổi Trẻ reported today.

According to the report, the Vietnamese High Command of Navy issued a statement to confirm that the Boeing B777-200 aircraft went down some 300km off the island located near Cape Ca Mau in Vietnam’s Kien Giang Province.

The report added, however, that there are no reports of any casualties as yet.

MAS has yet to confirm the reports.

An aerial view of an oil spill is seen from a Vietnamese Air Force aircraft in the search area for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, 250km from Vietnam and 190km from Malaysia, in this handout photo from Thanh Nien Newpaper taken on March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic A Vietnamese Air Force officer takes photos from a search and rescue aircraft in the search area for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, 250km from Vietnam and 190km from Malaysia, in this handout photo from Thanh Nien Newpaper taken March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic A woman, whose husband is a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, attempts to leave a hotel after complaining about Malaysia Airlines, in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic A relative of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 talks on a mobile phone as journalists attempt to interview her at a hotel in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic A relative of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 speaks to journalists at a hotel in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic Family members of those onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are interviewed by media at the waiting area at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and MAS group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya at a press conference at the Sama-Sama Hotel in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. — Picture by Choo Choy May A Malaysia Airlines spokesman speaks to journalists regarding information about Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, during a news conference at a hotel in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic A crying woman is escorted to a bus for relatives at the Beijing Airport after news of the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 plane on March 8, 2014. — AFP pic Journalists take pictures and videos of a relative of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, at a hotel in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic Distraught family members of those on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, March 8, 2014. — Picture by Choo Choy May Distraught family members of those on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, March 8, 2014. — Picture by Choo Choy May The holding area set up at Level 5 for family members of those on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, March 8, 2014. — Picture by Choo Choy May Family members of those on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, walk into the waiting area at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic Family members of those on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, walk into the waiting area at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic A relative of a passenger onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic Family members of those on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight walk into the waiting area at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic Journalists wait in a conference room for a news conference regarding the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, at a hotel in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic A man takes pictures of a flight information board displaying the Scheduled Time of Arrival (STA) of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 (top, in red) at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic Journalists attempt to interview a woman who is the relative of a passenger on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, as she crouches on the floor crying, at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic A relative of a passenger onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, covers her face as she cries at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic People take pictures of a flight information board displaying the Scheduled Time of Arrival (STA) of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 (top, in red) at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, March 8, 2014. — Reuters pic Previous Next

At a press conference earlier this afternoon, MAS group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said a search and rescue team is still trying to locate the missing aircraft.

He said the plane was last heard from when it was flying some 120 nautical miles off the coast of Kota Baru, near the South China Sea.

Jauhari also said no distress signal had been received as yet.

Earlier today, MAS confirmed that Subang Air Traffic Control lost contact with the Boeing B777-200 plane at 2.40am this morning, some two hours after the Beijing-bound aircraft departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 12.41am.

The plane was scheduled to arrive at Beijing at 6.30am local time.

According to Jauhari, there were a total of 14 nationalities onboard the plane and a total of 227 passengers, and 12 crew members.

This includes 153 Chinese nationals including one infant, 38 Malaysians, 12 Indonesians, seven Australians, three French nationals, four from the US including one infant, two from New Zealand, two Canadians, two Russians, one Italian, one Taiwanese, one from Netherlands and one Austrian.

Jauhari said the family members of those onboard the missing flight are being contacted.

A search and rescue mission has also been mounted, involving both Malaysian and Vietnamese officials.