Senior Lieutenant and flight captain Vu Duc Long (right) looks at a map of a search area on iPad while flying a Vietnam Air Force AN-26 aircraft, during a mission to find the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, off Con Dao island, March 14, 2014. —

HANOI, March 15 — Vietnam has decided to end the search mission for a missing Malaysian jet after it was informed that Malaysia has decided to end searching for the Boeing 777-200ER in the South China Sea, a senior military officer said at Vietnam’s National Committee for Search and Rescue here on Saturday.

Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of the General Staff of Vietnam People’s Army, told reporters the decision was made after Vietnam had received information from Vietnamese ambassador to Malaysia Saturday afternoon that Malaysia has decided to end searching in the South China Sea, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

Indonesian national search and rescue agency personnel watch over high seas during a search operation for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the Andaman Sea on March 15, 2014. — AFP pic An Indonesian student displays a message expressing prayers and well-wishes for passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370, in Medan, North Sumatra on March 15, 2014. — AFP pic A woman writes a message expressing hope for the family members of passengers on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in a Buddhist temple in Kuala Lumpur, March 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Japan Coast Guard personnel prepare their Gulfstream V Jet aircraft customised for search and rescue operations, to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane over the waters of the South China Sea, March 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A Japan Coast Guard studies a map with two Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency pilots as they search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane over the waters of the South China Sea, March 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A family member shouts at Malaysia Airlines Commercial Director Hugh Dunleavy (top, back-facing camera) after his question was declined, at a hotel in Beijing, March 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Members of a Malaysia Airlines special assistance team watch as the news conference on the missing flight MH370 is streamed on a projector screen at a hotel in Beijing, March 15, 2014. — Reuters pic A girl looks at a board with messages of support and hope for passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, March 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Family members of passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 check news on a mobile phone at a hotel in Beijing, March 15, 2014. — Reuters pic Family members of passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 react as they watch a telecast of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak news conference at a hotel in Beijing, March 15, 2014. ― Reuters pic A women cries during a special prayer session for the family members of passengers on-board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in a Buddhist temple in Subang Jaya, March 15, 2014. ― Reuters pic Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak holds a press conference at Sama Sama Hotel, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), March 15, 2014. ― Picture by Saw Siow Feng Members of a rescue team keep track of a GPS system on a Basarnas rescue ship during a search and rescue operation to find the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in the Andaman Sea, March 15, 2014. ― Reuters pic Messages expressing hope for family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are seen in a Buddhist temple in Subang Jaya outside Kuala Lumpur March 15, 2014. ― Reuters pic A monk lights candles during a special prayer for family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in a Buddhist temple in Subang Jaya March 15, 2014. ― Reuters pic A member of the Malaysia Airlines’ special assistance team to help relatives of passengers from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 leaves the lounge at a hotel in Beijing on March 15, 2014. — Picture by AFP A family member of a passenger onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 reacts during a briefing from the Malaysia Airlines at a hotel in Beijing March 14, 2014. — Reuters pic Previous Next

Do Ba Ty, chief of the General Staff of Vietnam People’s Army and deputy defence minister, announced the decision at a meeting held at the headquarters of the Defence Ministry upon consideration of the information.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 enroute to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board disappeared suddenly early last Saturday about an hour after taking off from the KL International Airport at 12.41 am. It was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30 am the same day. — Bernama