Beijing court orders Malaysia Airlines to pay damages to families of MH370 victims

FILE -The shadow of a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion is seen on low level cloud while the aircraft searches for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean, near the coast of Western Australia, March 31, 2014. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)

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

The court ordered the airline to pay each family compensation for the death of their loved one, funeral expenses, and damages stemming from emotional distress, it said in a statement Monday. Although it is not known what happened to the passengers, they have been declared legally dead.

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’s unknown why the plane went down or what happened to the people on board. Most of the passengers were Chinese, and their families in China have continued to seek answers.

The court said that another 23 cases remain pending. In 47 other cases, families have reached agreements with the airlines and withdrawn their suits.

Last Wednesday, the Malaysian government said a search for the plane would resume Dec. 30.