Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai on Sunday dismissed reports that the wreckage of a missing AirAsia plane with 162 people aboard had been found, saying no information had been received about the whereabouts of the aircraft so far.

He told a press conference that Malaysia had deployed three vessels and one aircraft to assist in search operations for Flight QZ8501 upon the request from the Indonesian side.

The minister said he had been keeping close contact with his counterparts in Indonesia and Singapore, Ignasius Jonan and Lui Tuck Yew, to lend any available assistance in time of need.

He said Malaysia had established a Rescue Coordination Center ( RCC) at the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Control Center (ATCC) in Subang to assist with the coordination effort in searching.

The search and rescue operation was led by Indonesian authorities in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization's convention.

The Airbus A320-200 aircraft with 155 passengers and seven crew members onboard lost contact with the air traffic control on Sunday soon after taking off from Surabaya in Indonesia's East Java province. Endi

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