Teens were heading to school

Vietnamese air force crew manage a plane during a search and rescue operation for the aircraft. Photo / AP

Among the most poignant stories from Flight MH370 was that of two French teenagers, Hadrien Wattrelos, 17, and Zhao Yan, 18, who had enrolled together at the Lycee Francais International de Pekin in Beijing, also known as the French School.

A picture of the couple posted on Wattrelos' college page on July 29, 2013, was accompanied by the words "Je t'aime [I love you]." Zhao responded: "Haaaaaa mon amour, trooooop mignon" [Ha my love, too cute]." The pair, both French citizens, gave Paris as their home town.

Image 1 of 17: A spokesperson, right, from the Malaysia Airlines speaks to the media during a news conference at a hotel in Beijing. Photo / AP

Two other passengers, Laurence Wattrelos, 52, and Ambre Wattrelos, 14, were believed to be Hadrien's mother and sister. Ambre is also a student at the French School and Laurence is listed as vice-president of the Association des Parents D'Eleves du Lycee Francais International de Pekin, a French parent-teacher organisation.

In Malaysia, Hamid Ramlan was handing out photographs of his daughter Norliakmar Hamid, 34, and her husband Razahan Zamani, who he said were both on board. Also feared dead are Canadian husband and wife Muktesh Mukherjee and Bai Xiaomo, who were returning home to Beijing.

Three Americans were Philip Wood, 51, an IBM executive from North Texas who worked in Kuala Lumpur, and two children, Leo Meng, 2, and Nicole Meng, 4. An Austin, Texas, technology company known as Freescale Semiconductor confirmed that it had 20 employees from Malaysia and China on the flight.

- AP