Malaysia Didn't Start Looking For The Missing Plane Until 4 Hours After It Disappeared

Malaysian officials have released a preliminary report about the Flight 370 disappearance that says the official rescue operation didn't start until four hours after the plane vanished from radar.

CNN reports that Malaysian officials also noted it took 17 minutes for anyone to notice that the plane had gone off the radar.

Also on Thursday, Malaysia Airlines issued a statement telling families of the missing passengers to go home:

The families of MH370 are advised to receive information updates on the progress of the search and investigation and other support by Malaysia Airlines within the comfort of their own homes, with the support and care of their families and friends.

The search for the missing plane continues in the southern Indian Ocean, but teams have yet to find any wreckage from the Boeing 777.

MH370 went missing on March 8 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. There were 239 people on board.