MH370: Indescribable grief as families told 'no survivors'

As the Malaysian prime minister announced to the world that missing flight MH370 had ended in the middle of the South Indian Ocean, there were scenes of indescribable grief in the room where the passengers' families were waiting.

Moments before the Najib Razak's statement to world media, families of the passengers were sent a text message from Malaysian Airlines explaining it was likely there were "no survivors".

Such was the level of shock in the Beijing hotel where some families were told face-to-face by officials, medical equipment and stretchers were sent into the conference room as loved ones heard the news.

Despite pleas from the prime minister to give them "the space they need", the families told reporters they wanted the world to see their pain.

ITV News China Correspondent Lucy Watson wrote on Twitter:

One relative, Jack Sung, told ITV News his 60-year-old sister had exchanged her seat on a China Air flight with a friend who did not want to do the overnight Malaysian Airlines trip.

Mr Sung said that among the 154 Chinese families waiting for news, one has potentially lost six members of the same family.

"Many of them are farmers from across China, ill-equipped to deal with both their grief and the frustrating lack of information especially in front of the eyes of the world," he added.