The debris of a plane was found washed up on the shore of an Indian Ocean island and officials say that the wreckage is a part of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Malaysia announced the sad news Thursday, stated Reuters, wherein officials said that the piece of wing found on the shore of the French-governed island matched the paint color and maintenance-record of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which vanished last year. According to Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, the investigators on Reunion island collected more plane debris, including a window and aluminum foil. There was no confirmation whether these items belonged to the missing plane, however, the new debris will be sent to France for verification.
The Reuters report also mentioned that the piece of the plane's wing, known as the flaperon, was sent to France when it was found last week, covered in barnacles on the Reunion Island shore. Despite the Malaysian government's announcement, French prosecutors were very careful in sharing the results of the investigation. They mentioned that there was a "very strong presumption" that the plane wing fragment was a part of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Serge Mackowiak, Deputy Paris Prosecutor, mentioned that their findings was based on technical data provided by the manufacturer and the airline. However, he did not indicate whether the experts had discovered a serial number or unique markings that would truly confirm the link. Mackowiak told reporters that more analysis would be carried out, along with an examination of the fragment of luggage also found on the island shore.
Meanwhile, in an emotional televised press conference held in Paris Thursday, the Malaysian leader Najib Razak confirmed that the wreckage was part of flight MH370, reports the Express. He said: "Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you that an international team of experts have conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370. We now have physical evidence. The burden and uncertainly faced by the families during this time has been unspeakable. They have our deepest sympathy and prayers."
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing in March 2014 with 239 people on board. The plane veered off its course while heading to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.
