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There were no reports of bad weather and no sign why the Boeing 777-200ER, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines, would have vanished from radar screens about an hour after it took off.

By nightfall in the region, there were no signs of the plane or any wreckage, some 17 hours after it went missing.

A large number of planes and ships from several countries were scouring the area where the plane last made contact, about halfway between Malaysia and the southern tip of Vietnam.

"The search and rescue operations will continue as long as necessary," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters in Kuala Lumpur. He said 15 air force aircraft, six navy ships and three coast guard vessels had been pressed into service by Malaysia.

China and the Philippines have sent ships to a region near the South China Sea to help. The United States, the Philippines and Singapore also dispatched military planes to help in the search.

Malaysia Airlines plane missing at sea off Vietnam, presumed crashed | Reuters