MH370 Update: 60% of the Area Has Been Searched; If No Delays Underwater Search Might Be 'Completed Around May'

The search for the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared on March 8 last year is expected to be concluded in May.

The leading underwater search for MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), has disclosed that more than 60 percent of the "priority search areas" have been searched, according to the ATSB official report.

"Assuming no significant delays with vessels, equipment or from the weather, the current underwater search area may be largely completed around May 2015," it said.

The ATSB wrote that there have been key developments this week. The GO Phoenix has departed the search area on April 8 to conduct a routine resupply visit and is expected to arrive at the port on April 13. Fugro Discovery departed the port of Fremantle on April 2 and conducted calibration trails at the test site before commencing transit to return to the search area.

"Fugro Equator arrived in the port of Fremantle on April 8 to conduct a routine 24-hour resupply visit. Fugro Supporter departed the search area on April 4 from the port of Fremantle to conduct a routine resupply visit," it said.

Furthermore, as the current search is happening on an arc of the Indian Ocean, residents from Maldives urge investigators to visit their island as the locals claim they saw a "low-flying jumbo jet" the day that Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared, cited Express.

Mohamed Zaheem, the Island Councilor of Kuda Huvadhoo, confirmed that the people of the island have spoken about the event.

"It's not just me either, several other residents have reported seeing the exact same thing. Some people got out of their house to see what was causing the tremendous noise, too," according to Haveeru, citing an unnamed source.

The intensive research for MH370 is jointly funded by Australi and Malaysia with a budget of A$120 million ($92 million).