KUALA LUMPUR: China has new satellite images of one or more floating objects that could be related to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Saturday.

“The news that I just received is that the Chinese ambassador received satellite image of floating objects in the southern corridor and they will be sending ships to verify,” Hishammuddin told a news briefing in Kuala Lumpur.

It was not immediately clear how many possible objects had been spotted, but the minister said one was estimated at 22 metres by 30 metres.

“The Beijing government will announce this in a couple of hours,” he added.

The news came as Hishammuddin was in the middle of his daily press briefing on the search for MH370.

“This is coming to me as quick as you are seeing on TV right now,” the minister said, adding that he was wrapping up the briefing early in order “to follow this lead”.

Related: Indian Ocean search for missing jet enters 3rd day

Earlier this week, another satellite had spotted two large objects in the Indian Ocean, raising hopes of finding the Boeing 777 that disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.

A search started by Australia in the southern Indian Ocean entered its third day on Saturday as planes were scouring the desolate region for possible parts of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, now lost for two full weeks.

Australia promised its best efforts to resolve the mystery, but two days of searching the seas about 2,500 kilometres southwest of Perth have not produced any evidence.