Wrecks Found During MH370 Search Identified as 19th Century Ships

Crew members looking out the cockpit windows of a RNZAF P3 Orion during search operations for wreckage and debris of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. Nick Perry, AFP
Crew members looking out the cockpit windows of a RNZAF P3 Orion during search operations for wreckage and debris of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. Nick Perry, AFP
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Wrecks Found During MH370 Search Identified as 19th Century Ships

Crew members looking out the cockpit windows of a RNZAF P3 Orion during search operations for wreckage and debris of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. Nick Perry, AFP
Crew members looking out the cockpit windows of a RNZAF P3 Orion during search operations for wreckage and debris of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. Nick Perry, AFP

Two shipwrecks found during the hunt for missing flight MH370 in the remote Southern Ocean were identified Thursday as 19th century merchant vessels carrying coal, each crewed by up to 30 people, Agence France Presse reported.

The Malaysia Airlines plane disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people, mostly from China, on board while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

No sign of the jet was found in the area during the largest search in aviation history, which was suspended in January last year -- but the Australian-led hunt did come across two wrecks, the deepest at 3,900 meters.

The MH370 search was restarted in January in an area north of the original zone, with a private research vessel scouring the seabed commissioned by Malaysia on a "no find, no fee" basis. So far it has found nothing.

According to AFP, the Western Australian Museum analyzed sonar and video data from the first search to determine what had been found.

"Both wrecks were in fact 19th century merchant sailing ships -- one wooden and one iron -- both carrying coal," said Ross Anderson, the museum's curator of maritime archaeology.

Cargo ships of that era likely carried crews of between 15 and 30 men, although sometimes captains traveled with their wives and children. Both vessels may also have carried additional passengers.

It was difficult to determine exactly which ships they were, but the possibilities have been narrowed based on information from predominantly British shipping sources, Anderson said.

The wooden ship could be the W. Gordon, which vanished while traveling from Glasgow in Scotland to Adelaide in 1876, or the Magdala, voyaging from Penarth in Wales to Ternate in Indonesia.

"For the iron ship the barques Kooringa (1894), Lake Ontario (1897) and West Ridge (1883) are possible, with the West Ridge best fitting the evidence," he added.

The hull structure of the wooden ship and other timbers appeared to have totally degraded, leaving only the remains of its coal cargo and metal objects such as fastenings, anchors and fittings.

"The evidence points to the ship sinking as a result of a catastrophic event such as explosion, which was common in the transport of coal cargoes," Anderson said.

One of the most interesting finds was a large rectangular metal object, six meters in length, which initially generated excitement as a possible treasure chest. But it was found to be the ship's iron water tank.

The second wreck was more intact, lying upright on the seabed, with at least two decks and visible portholes at the stern.



Santorini Seismic Activity Down But Schools Stay Shuttered

A tourist takes a photo at the village of Oia, as the seismic activity continues, on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
A tourist takes a photo at the village of Oia, as the seismic activity continues, on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
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Santorini Seismic Activity Down But Schools Stay Shuttered

A tourist takes a photo at the village of Oia, as the seismic activity continues, on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
A tourist takes a photo at the village of Oia, as the seismic activity continues, on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou

Seismic activity on the Aegean Sea hotspot of Santorini has been "decreasing" over recent days but schools will remain closed for another week, according to authorities on the Greek island.

Thousands of earthquakes, mainly of a low magnitude, have been recorded between Santorini and Amorgos, islands in the Cyclades group southeast of the Greek mainland. They have yet to cause either casualties or significant damage but have worried authorities and residents.

"Seismic activity in the maritime region between Thira (Santorini) and Amorgos is decreasing," the ministry of civil protection said in a press release late Saturday following a meeting with the national commission of seismologists.

According to AFP, the ministry attributed the activity to a combination of tectonic movement and deep magmatic activity.

The region has not experienced a phenomenon of such magnitude since records began in 1964, experts say.

Located where the African and Anatolian tectonic plates converge, the Aegean Sea is often hit by earthquakes.

Known for its spectacular volcanic caldera, a large depression that forms when a volcano erupts and collapses, Santorini is also part of a volcanic arc with two underwater volcanoes near to its coast, Nea Kameni and Kolumbo, which last erupted in 1950 and 1650 respectively.

Authorities put the level of seismic activity inside the caldera as similar to recent days, noting a decrease in the rate of local ground deformation.

The ministry aid preventative measures would remain in force, urging residents to be alert to the risk of landslides.

Schools will meantime remain closed until Friday on Santorini and the nearby islands of Ios, Anafi and Amorgos while a ministerial assessment meeting will be held Thursday.

Authorities declared a state of emergency in Santorini and Amorgos at the start of February for a month, with schools closing while a majority of Santorini residents elected to leave the island, which saw 3.4 million visitors in 2023, leading to complaints of over-tourism.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently announced a support package for local businesses and workers on the island, one of Greece's most popular tourism destinations.