China is making an all-out effort to locate and rescue Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that has been missing since Saturday morning as the whole country prays for the safety of the passengers on board.

As of 7 p.m. Sunday, the flight has been out of touch for over 39 hours, and search and rescue work for the missing jet is under way.

No information has been confirmed so far to suggest terrorism is behind the loss of contact with the flight, said Ignatius Ong Ming Choy, representative of Malaysia Airlines, at a press conference.

More than 100 relatives of the Chinese passengers on board have been anxiously waiting for information at a hotel that Malaysia Airlines has asked them to gather at in Beijing.

The carrier has communicated with the Malaysian and Chinese governments to assist the relatives to go to Malaysia. The departure time is expected to be Monday at the soonest if their passports and visas can be handled smoothly, Ong said.

A Chinese coast guard vessel, "China Coast Guard 3411," reached the waters near the suspected site of the missing plane at about 1:00 p.m. Sunday.

However, there are still no signs indicating the aircraft's whereabouts.

"China Coast Guard 3411" has also contacted another Chinese vessel, "Tai Shun Hai," a business ship of the China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company which has been hunting for the plane in the search area off Vietnam for about five hours but has detected no clues.

Divers and salvagers assembled by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) are on their way to the search area.

Rescue vessel "South China Sea Rescue 101" is carrying 12 divers and salvagers, and will join another rescue vessel, "South China Sea Rescue 115," at the rescue site.

The latter ship is scheduled to arrive at the site on Monday afternoon, while "South China Sea Rescue 101" will get there on Tuesday afternoon, according to the MOT.

Rescue work remains challenging as there is no exact location of the possible site and it will take about two days for the rescue ship to reach the water, said Zeng Ying, leader of the emergency team.

"But we will try our best," added Zeng.

Upon approval by the Central Military Commission, two warships of the Chinese navy, "Jinggangshan" and "Mianyang," are already on their way to the search area, navy sources said.

Amphibious landing ship "Jinggangshan," loaded with life-saving equipment, underwater detection facilities and supplies of oil, water and food, set out from Zhanjiang port of south China's Guangdong Province at about 3 a.m. Sunday.

The vessel carries a 14-strong medical contingent and an underwater rescue team consisting of 10 divers.

Two helicopters as well as 52 marines, carrying assault boats and rubber dinghies, are also on board.

Another Chinese navy frigate "Mianyang," which was on a mission in the Nansha waters when receiving the command, left for the suspected area at about 11:50 p.m. on Saturday night.

"Mianyang" is expected to reach the waters by 7:30 a.m. Monday while "Jinggangshan" may arrive by 10 a.m. Tuesday, the sources said.

The MOT has urged all Chinese ships passing the sea area to pay close attention and make timely reports.

The Boeing 777-200 aircraft left the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday, and was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. the same day.

Contact with the flight was lost along with its radar signal at 1:20 a.m. on Saturday when it was flying over the Ho Chi Minh air traffic control area in Vietnam.

On board were 12 Malaysian flight crew and 227 passengers, including 154 Chinese.

Chinese maritime search and rescue has established cooperation with Malaysian and Vietnamese counterparts, and hopes the two countries can help find the exact location of the plane soon.

The whole country has joined the families of passengers on board the missing plane to pray for their safety.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Chinese embassies and consulates overseas to strengthen contact with departments of relevant countries and pay close attention to the search and rescue work.

All-out efforts must be made for any emergency treatment necessary in the aftermath of the incident, Xi said in his instruction.

The MOT and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) must launch emergency measures immediately and enhance security checks to ensure the "absolute safety" of China's civil aviation operation, according to the president.

Premier Li Keqiang also instructed the government to intensify communication and contact with civil aviation agencies of Malaysia, urging them to intensify the search effort.

He called for details of the Chinese passengers aboard the plane to be verified as soon as possible.

Relevant departments should cooperate with foreign parties to prepare for emergency rescue and liaise with passengers' families in a timely and appropriate manner, Li said.

Yang Chuantang, Chinese minister of transport, announced the launch of the highest-degree emergency response mechanism.

The ministry is closely observing the incident and actively coordinating with domestic authorities as well as maritime rescue authorities and civil aviation administrations in Malaysia and Vietnam.

The CAAC demanded its air traffic management office keep in touch with its Malaysian counterpart, and ordered Beijing Capital International Airport to comfort relatives and friends of the passengers on board the missing flight.