LONDON, March 9 -- British Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire on Sunday expressed condolences to those affected by the loss of a Malaysia Airlines flight.

"I am deeply concerned to hear of the loss of the Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. My deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of all those affected at this terrible time," Swire said in a statement.

"We all wait to hear more definitive evidence of what has happened. The British Government stands ready to help in any way we can," Swire added.

A Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished after climbing to a cruising altitude in the early hours of Saturday when flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The Boeing 777-200 aircraft was carrying 12 crew members and 227 passengers, including 154 Chinese.