Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: $50,000 Compensations Don’t Cover Pain And Frustration Of Families

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is a painful void of unanswered questions, potential cover ups, and frustration for the families of those inexplicably lost with the enigmatic Flight 370. But some compensation is coming to the MH370 families, reports the International Business Times.

Families of the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 are reportedly being paid $50,000 a person as “interim compensation” for their loss. The payments are being made by Malaysian Airline’s insurers, according to a Malaysian official.

Hamzah Zainuddin, deputy minister for foreign affairs, said some families have already received the money. Mr. Zainudin is also head of the Malaysian government-appointed committee to work with the families of the 239 people missing from Flight MH370,

The payments to the MH370 families are initial payments as part of a larger compensation package that will be determined as the search for Flight MH370 continues to unfold.

According to Zainudin, six Malaysian families, and one Chinese family, have accepted the compensation at this point, and the insurer is currently working with an additional 40 Chinese families while they’re verified as rightful Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 claimants.

239 people were lost on Flight MH370, including both passengers and crew, for a total of $11.95 million dollars worth of $50,000 payments.

Flight MH370 families could ultimately claim up to $175,000 each if, or when, the Malaysian Airlines flight is actually declared lost, a declaration the Malaysian Government is not yet prepared to make:

“When we talk about the full payment, we have to wait until we announce the issue on the tragedy MH370 is over.” said the official. “Whether the plane is found, whether we announce the plane is lost.”

The International Civil Aviation Organisation requires that families such as those affected by the loss of Flight MH370, or any jet that crashes, be paid $175,000, no matter who’s deemed at fault. The $175,000 payments to each MH370 family would total $41.825 million, to be paid by German insurer, Allianz.

But monetary compensation wasn’t the point for over twenty Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 relatives of lost Chinese passengers that congregated at Malaysia Airline’s regional office in Beijing on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

Flanked by at least a dozen Chinese police that were backed by several employees of the building, the MH370 relatives were held back from entering the building. But this did nothing to silence the grieving family members who have become beyond frustrated at the lack of information regarding Flight MH370 and their lost loved ones:

“Please give us the truth and tell us the right way to find our beloved ones,” said Dai Shuqin, who lost five family members on Flight MH370, including her sister, brother-in-law, daughter, son-in-law and grandchild. “It has been extremely hard for us, and we can’t take it anymore.”

While some of the relatives have sought legal counsel and guidance regarding their rights, they believe it is too early to discuss any type of compensation until the Malaysia Airlines jetliner is found:

“We do not care about compensation but please let us know more information,” said a weeping Zhang Qian, as she spoke of her missing husband, Wang Houbin, 28. “We’ve gone from days of wearing down jackets to now, summer, and we are still waiting.”

Unfortunately, the whereabouts of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 remains a total mystery, despite a nearly 100 day search.

Images via The Inquisitr