TEARS AND EMOTIONS AS FAMILIES MARK 2ND YEAR OF MH370 DISAPPEARANCE

Family members and friends of the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 gathered Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Beijing to mark the second anniversary of the Boeing 777's mysterious disappearance and support the arduous search for the plane and their loved ones.
In Beijing, some supporters held a protest near the Malaysia embassy, shouting slogans and demanding more information about the disaster. Others gathered at a temple to pray, burn incense and mourn.
In Kuala Lumpur, several loved ones wore "search on" shirts and released balloons. The Malaysian Parliament also showed support, offering a minute of silence, and Prime Minister Najib Razak released a statement assuring the families that "we remain committed to doing everything within our means to solving what is an agonizing mystery."
Razak noted that a piece of wing found on the island of Reunion last year confirmed his assertions that the plane was lost somewhere in a vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. All 239 people aboard the Beijing-bound flight from Kuala Lumpur are presumed dead.
"Amidst some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain – at depths of up to six kilometers (about 3.5 miles), across underwater mountain ranges, and in the world’s fastest currents – the search team have been working tirelessly to find MH370’s resting place. We are grateful for their efforts," he said.
He also touched on a recurring theme in recent weeks that has stressed the families: When the search might end.
Razak said searchers remain hopeful they will find the wreckage in an area of more than 10,000 square miles now being scanned, a process expected to be completed by summer. "If it is not, then Malaysia, Australia and China will hold a tripartite meeting to determine the way forward," he said. Australian officials have said that most likely will mean an end to the search, estimated to have cost more than $130 million.
Without the wreckage or the black boxes, investigators have been unable to determine whether mechanical problem or pilot error caused the crash. And it's location has been estimated based on hourly, automated satellite contacts that indicate the plane flew for hours after losing contact with controllers.
Grace Nathan, whose mother Anne Daisy was on the flight, told the BBC that discussions about ending the search are painful to the loved ones.
"I understand from a logical standpoint what they are saying, that the funds are dwindling, that they've looked very thoroughly in this space," Nathan said. "But for me it is very important to find the plane. Not just for our own emotional reasons and our need for closure, but I believe the flying public also needs to know what happened.