(VOVworld) - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Saturday phoned his Malaysian counterpart Dato Sri Anifah Hj Aman over the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200 ER with 239 people on board.

Minh expressed and shared his deep concern about the incident with the Government and people of Malaysia, as well as a number of regional countries and families of passengers on the flight. He said upon hearing the news, the Vietnamese Prime Minister immediately asked relevant Vietnamese agencies to verify information and deploy forces to join search and rescue efforts. He said that relevant Vietnamese agencies are trying their best to search for the missing plane. Minister Dato Sri Anifah Hj Aman thanked the government and people of Vietnam for the immediate assistance.

On Sunday, 5 Vietnamese vessels reportedly approached the area where the plane was believed to be missing. 2 helicopters have also joined search and rescue efforts. The search area has been expanded to more than 100km. Philippine search and rescue forces have deployed a plane and a vessel to the area. There has been no sign of the missing plane.