Malaysian flight with 239 people aboard missing

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A Malaysian passenger plane carrying 239 people has lost contact with air traffic control after leaving Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, the carrier said Saturday.

The Boeing B777-200 aircraft departed Kuala Lumpur at 00:41 a.m. Saturday, and was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. the same day.

Malaysia Airlines said it was working with the authorities who have dispatched search and rescue team to locate the plane.

The flight MH370 with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board lost radar contact in airspace controlled by Vietnam in the early hours of Saturday morning.