MH370 families sue airline as deadline nears

The families of 12 passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 filed suits against the airline on March 4 before a two-year deadline for legal action expires next week.

Malaysia Airlines flight in Kuala Lumpur

Lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who is representing 10 families, said the lawsuit involves a passenger from Russia, one from China and the rest from Malaysia, adding that they are also suing the Malaysian government and the Civil Aviation Department Director General.

Sangeet said her clients were engaged in settlement negotiations with the airline earlier but nothing reasonable was forthcoming, forcing them to take legal action given the time limitation.

Lawyer Yeoh Cho Kheong, who is representing the families of two Ukrainian passengers, said his clients will continue negotiations with the airline despite the lawsuit.

According to the international aviation agreement, the next-of-kin of passengers on board the plane are allowed to receive up to 175,000 USD in compensation, but the plaintiffs file the lawsuits seek more.

Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with a total of 239 crew and passengers on board, most were Chinese, Malaysian and French.

Authorities said last year that an aircraft flaperon found on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion belonged to the missing plane.