Ships detect three separate signals in Indian Ocean

[PERTH] Ships searching the vast Indian Ocean for a missing Malaysian airliner have detected three separate underwater signals, and more ships and planes were diverted yesterday to investigate whether they could have come from its "black box".

Angus Houston, head of the Australian search mission, said the detections were being taken "very seriously" as time ticked down on the battery life of the black box's tracking beacons.

He said China's Haixun 01 has twice detected an underwater signal on a frequency used for the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders - once for 90 seconds on Saturday and another more fleeting "ping" on Friday a short distance away.