Missing Malaysian Plane #MH370 Latest: Families of passengers get $50,000 compensation payments

The families of passengers on the missing Malaysian passenger plane have begun to receive initial compensation payments of 50,000 dollars.

So far, six Malaysian families and one Chinese family have received the money, and insurers are assessing the claims of 40 more Chinese families.

Relatives of all 239 missing passengers can claim up to $175,000 each.

Malaysia’s deputy foreign minister says family members of at least seven passengers who went missing aboard flight MH370 have received advance payments from the airline’s insurance.

Hamzah Zainudin, who is also the head of the next-of-kin committee, said each had received 50,000 dollars.

The seven claimants included six Chinese and a Malaysia national.

“Six already received advance payment, some already appointed their own lawyers and we are dealing with the lawyers,” Hamzah told reporters

He said they were in the process of finalising the payout for another 40 claimants in china, and were also in communication with lawyers engaged by families of passengers from other countries.

“One already received advance payment, 40 in the process because to confirm their verification from the government of China whether they’re the legal n-o-ks (next of kin) or not, and some other countries, most of them have already appointed their own lawyers” he said at a news conference in Putrajaya

Months of searches have failed to turn up any trace of the missing Boeing 777, which disappeared on march the 8th carrying 239 passengers and crew. Most of the passengers were Chinese.

So far, no trace of it has been found. Until some debris can be linked to the missing jet, some relatives of passengers on flight MH370 refuse to accept the authorities’ version of events, and continue to hope their loved ones are still alive.