12 civil cases filed against Malaysia Airlines as deadline nears

Twelve civil cases were filed Friday against Malaysia Airlines (MAS) in relation to the disappearance of flight MH370 two years ago, as the deadline for filing compensation claims next week nears.

Two claims were filed by widows of Ukrainian passengers, one by relatives of a Chinese passenger, another by a relative of a Russian passenger and the remaining eight by relatives of Malaysian passengers, according to their lawyers.

The complainants are seeking an undisclosed amount of compensation for negligence, the lawyers said.

Under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Montreal Convention, next of kin have two years to file compensation claims from the time of the incident.

The Beijing-bound flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, shortly after it took off from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Until today, 16 civil lawsuits related to MH370 have been filed in Malaysian courts, one of which was settled amicably out of court.