MH370: Missing Malaysian's wife seeks $7.6m in damages

A wing part from MH370 has been found on the French island of Reunion

A Malaysian woman whose husband was on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is seeking $7.6m (£5.4m) in damages from the airline and the government.

K Sri Devi accuses the airline of negligence and breach of contract.

Her lawsuit also names Malaysia's civil aviation authority and air force for losing track of the plane with 239 people on board on 8 March 2014.

Many more similar lawsuits are expected before a two-year filing deadline set by a global aviation agreement.

In the lawsuit, Ms Devi - together with her two sons and parents-in-law - alleges wrongful death of her husband, S Puspanathan, due to negligence and breach of contract by Malaysia Airlines and the Malaysian government authorities.

"They were waiting for some development in the search for the plane but nothing has been forthcoming so far. Everyone is hoping for some answers through the court," her lawyer, Shailender Bhar, told the Associated Press news agency.

Several other relatives of some of the passengers on board MH370 have either already filed or are preparing to file similar claims in other countries, reports say.

The 1999 Montreal Convention allows each next-of-kin of an air crash victim to claim up to 113,100 special drawing rights (SDR), a mix of currency values established by the International Monetary Fund. The value - which changes regularly - currently equals to about $157,000.

However, a plaintiff filing a lawsuit can seek more.

Flight MH370 disappeared during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. There were 227 passengers on board, including 153 Chinese and 38 Malaysians, according to the manifest. Seven were children.

Based on satellite communications data, the plane is thought to have crashed in the Indian Ocean, but only one piece of debris from the aircraft has ever been found, on the French island of Reunion.