Malaysia’s prime minister told a news conference on Monday and confirmed that ‘beyond all reasonable doubt’ Flight MH370 crashed in the Indian Ocean and ‘none of those on board survived’. This extremely heartbreaking conclusion incited public sorrow, sympathy, as well as controversy, questions, and skepticism. This topic became the hottest one of the day on Sina Weibo, China’s leading microblogging platform. Below were some of the top and earliest online reports…

From Sina Weibo:

@人民日报: #Malaysia Airlines Flight Crash# Malaysia Officials Confirm Flight MH370 Crashed into Southern Indian Ocean — Malaysia’s Prime Minister said, according to the latest analysis results, the flight [MH370] flew along the southern corridor and the last location was in southern Indian Ocean, southwest of Perth, Australia, far beyond the distance previously expected. “It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that we must inform you that, Flight MH370 has crashed into the southern Indian Ocean.” Let us observe a moment of silence!

@微天下: Malaysian Prime Minister: “MH370 Flight Ended in southern Indian Ocean” — Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak just announced: according to the data from British Air Accidents Investigation Branch, the route of MH370 was flying towards the South Indian Ocean and this route was far beyond its fuel reserves. “With deep sadness, I inform you that, MH370 ended in South Indian Ocean,” its position to the west of Perth, Australia. Video broadcast: http://t.cn/8FsbYIi (From Sina)

@人民日报: #Malaysia Airlines Flight Crash# Full Text of Statement By Malaysian Prime Minister Concerning MH370 Incident (Original English Text) — 1. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 flew along the southern path; 2. Its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth, far from any landing sites; 3. This is in according to conclusions provided by the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch; 4. More details will be released at the press conference on the 25th.

@微天下 BBC: Malaysian Prime Minister Makes Announcement Based Solely On Tracking Data; Still No Debris Found at Present — “Flight MH370 ended in Southern Indian Ocean.” The UK’s BBC has reservations to this. They believe the announcement by the Malaysian PM seems to have been based solely on tracking data supplied by Inmarsat not on the debris found in the Indian ocean. (Sina)

Comments from Sina Weibo:

劳阿毛：

Chinese people take a Malaysian plane, crash in Australia, and then it is the UK who crack the investigation, are we sure this is not an international joke?

天道酬勤1258：

Such a large plane flew to the southern Indian Ocean and unbelievably it was not noticed? Didn’t it pass through the airspace of all those countries? Come on, were their national defense/militaries that frightened? There couldn’t be other things they don’t want to tell people in this, could there?

张俊俊Tony：

“Ended” just means the [last known location]. Those media who translated it into “crash” are truly despicable. Solely using the analysis of another country to make a conclusion, and then not providing any sufficient factual evidence. Once again showing the people of the world that this is a completely unreliable country that handles things without logic.

ooO橘子酱Ooo：

This kind of incident that exceeds human commonsense cannot end in “inference”.

广州蛇仔明：

How are we able to accept this statement made by a government prime minister that has been so irresponsible with regards to this missing Malaysia Airlines flight incident? While the entire truth of the incident remains to this day a riddle, is it decent that they already want to hurriedly brush us Chinese people off like this? We need the truth of the incident, not just a statement!

航空管制锐RAY-ATC：

The word he used is “end” and not the commonly used “crash”.

EstateEcho：

Why use English??!! Is this showing respect to the families?!!

鹤翾VV：

Have the Malaysian government properly explain “using a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort” and, unbelievably, it was “MH370 ended…”. Alright then, so where’s the plane wreckage? The black box?? Malaysian government, would it kill you to release the details today? Also please properly explain the so-called southern corridor. Are you teasing/stringing along everyone for fun?

小熊饼干Shawn：

After so many days, the odds of them returning alive is basically impossible. What we are more concerned about the series of unanswered questions like why the plane had deviated from its flight path, why it had disappeared from the first and second radar, and why flying skills were used to elude radar.

拂曉寧靜：

From the heart, I cannot accept this result! Unless they tell us the real reason and what’s going on behind the scenes! They searched for Air France flight 447 for a whole two years before officially announcing it was a crash! Produce the evidence.

SweetUmiko：

17 days, I would rather believe that you are on a long journey…

无忧-CHEN：

We can imagine just how helpless and desperate they must have been on the plane at that time. A moment of silence.

孙娜Amy：