Beijing Court: Malaysia Airlines Must Pay Damages to Kin of MH370 Victims

A Beijing court has ruled that Malaysia Airlines must pay 2.9 million yuan ($410,000) each to the families of eight passengers who went missing in the disappearance of Flight 370 more than a decade ago, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

There were 239 passengers and crew members on the flight that disappeared after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing in 2014. (Photo: Ohconfucius Wikimedia Commons)

The court ordered the airline to compensate each family for the death of their loved one, funeral expenses, and emotional distress, it said in a recent statement.

Although it is not known what happened to the passengers, they have been declared legally dead. Last week, the Malaysian government said a search for the plane would resume on Dec. 30.

There were 239 passengers and crew members on the flight that disappeared after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing in 2014.

Despite years of searches, it remains unknown why the plane went down or what happened to those on board. Most of the passengers were Chinese, and their families in China have continued to seek answers.

The court said 23 additional cases remain pending, while in 47 other cases, families have reached settlements with the airline and withdrawn their lawsuits.