US-headquartered Freescale Semiconductor says that 20 of its employees were passengers on the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370, which was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China, and has been missing since Saturday, 8 March 2014. Twelve of the employees are from Malaysia and eight from China.

"At present, we are solely focused on our employees and their families," said Gregg Lowe, Predient/CEO of Freescale in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragic event." The company has assembled a team of counsellors and other professionals through its employee assistance programme, with around-the-clock support for those impacted by the tragedy.

MAS confirmed it lost contact with the aircraft at 1.30 am (Malaysian time), which left the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and was heading towards Beijing, China. It was expected to arrive in Beijing at 6.30 am (Malaysian time).

MH370, a Boeing 777-200 airplane, was last seen on the radar above the South China sea. It was carrying 239 passengers along with 12 crew members.

Freescale Semiconductor is a global leader in embedded processing solutions, from microprocessors and microcontrollers to sensors, analog integrated circuits and connectivity. Some of its key applications and end-markets include automotive safety, hybrid and all-electric vehicles, next generation wireless infrastructure, smart energy management, portable medical devices, consumer appliances and smart mobile devices. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing and sales operations around the world.