Australian investigators have released satellite images of objects which potentially be related to the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

Australia has been searching in the southern Indian Ocean for the aircraft which disappeared on March 8th with a total of 239 people were on board.

The plane was on route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it lost contact with air traffic controllers.

The largest object appeared to be 24 metres in size, authorities said, but warned they could be unrelated to the plane.

A number of previous possible sighting of debris have turned out to be false leads.

Twenty-six nations have been involved in a major search for the missing plane, which Malaysia says was intentionally diverted.

Addressing the Australian parliament prime minister Tony Abbott said: “The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has received information based on satellite information of objects possibly related to the search.

“Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified.”

A Norwegian merchant ship has also arrived in the area after responding to a shipping broadcast issued by Australia’s rescue co-ordination centre.

Australia informed Malaysian authorities of the development on Thursday morning.