'Third party intervention' cannot be ruled out as cause of Malaysian flight MH370's mystery disappearance

The flight mysteriously disappeared in 2014. Credit: AP

Malaysian authorities have revealed the possibility of "third party intervention" cannot be ruled out in the mystery disappearance of flight MH370.

An independent report reiterated the government's assertion that the missing Malaysian Airlines plane was deliberately diverted and flown for over seven hours after communication was cut off.

The investigation, released more than four years after flight MH370 vanished, highlighted issues with the government's response that exacerbated the mystery.

Despite searches by Malaysian, Australian and Chinese officials and a private hunt for wreckage by U.S company Ocean Infinity, the location of the missing plane is still undetermined.

Debris has washed ashore on African beaches, leading officials to believe the plane crashed on a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean.

Family members of missing passengers cried as the report was read out on Monday. Credit: PA

The plane was carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished on March 8 2014.

Family members of those who were on board the plane when it disappeared said they were frustrated by the many questions left unanswered in the report.

Malaysian officials said the investigation is still not final as the plane is yet to be found, adding they are open to resuming searches if credible evidence on the plane's disappearance emerges.