The declaration by the Malaysia government clears the way for families to seek compensation payments and for Malaysia Airlines to make insurance claims, but is a heavy blow to relatives who have lived in torment for 10 months without knowing the fate of their loved ones.
The plane, with 239 passengers and crew on board, was en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur when it went missing in March 2014. There has since been no trace of the plane, despite a vast search operation.