TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Residents of a small remote island in the Maldives claimed that they saw a 'low-flying jumbo jet' matching the description of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 plane hours after it disappeared. Several residents of Kuda Huvadhoo, Dhaalu Atoll, said that they saw a white aircraft with red stripes flying low over the island.

They said that they were disturbed by an incredibly loud noise on 6:15am local time on March 8, 2014 and saw a plane heading from north to southeast towards Addu. The alleged sighting came hours after the Beijing-bound flight MH370 vanished with 239 people on board.

Satellite data showed that the last 'ping’ from the aircraft was detected in an area near a United States naval base on Diego Garcia and the Maldives. HaveeruOnline, quoting a local aviation expert, wrote that the plane spotted above Maldives is 'likely' to be the missing MH370.

METRO.CO.UK | PHILIPUS PARERA