Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Some families told of likely crash via text message

Malaysian officials announced Monday that the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 had probably plunged into the Indian Ocean, "far from any possible landing sites."

"It is therefore for with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that according to this new data, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean,” Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

Families of passengers received the devastating news via text message, according to NBC News' Adrienne Mong, prompting some criticism that officials had chosen an insensitive method of communication.

The text msg Malaysia Airlines sent to inform Chinese #MH370 families about flight's fate ending in S Indian Ocean pic.twitter.com/Ys3azWL7WB

— Adrienne Mong (@adriennemong) March 24, 2014

"SMSs were used only as an additional means of communicating with the families. Those families have been at the heart of every action the company has taken since the flight disappeared on 8th March and they will continue to be so," the airline said.

A rep released this additional statement to SkyNews:

We have asked #Malaysia Airlines about the text messages sent to relatives. Their response here: pic.twitter.com/9fgCU1j8MC

— Mark Stone (@Stone_SkyNews) March 24, 2014

[H/T Washington Post]