KUALA LUMPUR - The latest search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been suspended, according to Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

The suspension was temporary and was due to unsuitable weather conditions with the effort by exploration firm Ocean Infinity expected to resume later this year, he said in a recording released on Thursday.

"They have stopped the operation for the time being. They will resume the search at the end of this year," he said.

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It was reported earlier that the Malaysian government had approved the terms and conditions of a service agreement on a "no find, no fee" basis.

The Malaysian government will only be required to pay Ocean Infinity if the wreckage is discovered, with a success fee of $70 million.

The disappearance of MH370 was a tragic accident that occurred on March 8, 2014, when the plane, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China, vanished from radar screens with all 239 people on board.