KUALA LUMPUR – The search area for flight MH370 will double in size to encompass a vast Indian Ocean corridor if wreckage remains elusive, Malaysia, Australia and China said on Thursday, asserting their commitment to finding the plane.

Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, ministers from the three countries said the deep-sea zone now being scanned for signs of the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines jet would be expanded to 120,000 square kilometres (46,300 square miles) if the current area comes up empty.

“If the aircraft is not found within the current 60,000-square-kilometre search area, we have collectively decided to extend the search by an additional 60,000 square kilometres within the highest-probability area,” Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said.

He spoke at a press briefing following a meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and China's Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang.