Australia has said it will examine newly discovered debris to determine if it is part of the missing airplane. Recent discoveries have shed new light on the mysterious disappearance of MH370.
Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester confirmed on Sunday that Malaysia was working with the government of Mauritius to determine if debris found at the Indian Ocean island is indeed part of the missing aircraft, AFP reported.
The Malaysia Airlines-operated flight caused a sensation around the world when it seemingly vanished without a trace in March 2014, taking all 239 people on board with it.
Since then, Australia has been working closely with the Malaysian government to determine the missing plane’s whereabouts. In 2015, a part of the plane washed up on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, and last month Australia determined that debris found in Mozambique was “almost certainly from MH370”.
This latest suspected piece in the puzzle was discovered by a pair of tourists on the Mauritius island of Rodrigues. Chester, however, said it was too soon to draw any conclusions.
“This debris is an item of interest. However, until the debris has been examined by experts it is not possible to ascertain its origin,” he told reporters.
Australia, Malaysia and China are focusing their search on a 120,000-square-kilometer zone in the Indian Ocean. The countries have said they will cease their investigation when the whole area has been combed.
