Investigation to Confirm Whether Debris Found in Indian Ocean Part of Missing MH370

Malaysia sent a team to determine whether the debris, which was recently found on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, is from the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370).

The piece of wreckage, which measures two metres in length, washed up on the island late on Wednesday, the BBC reports.

Aviation experts stated that the debris resembles a wing component, known as a flaperon, from a Boeing 777.

Based on photos, investigators have a "high degree of confidence" that the debris is the unique component of a Boeing 777 wing.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai commented that the wreckage needs to be verified before it can be confirmed that it belongs to MH370.

In a similar fashion, Malaysia Airlines said that it was "premature" to speculate on the origin of the debris.

There have been other airplane crashes much closer to Reunion, but MH370 is the only Boeing 777 to have disappeared in the area.

French authorities are also investigating the findings and Australian investigators have contacted the manufacturer.

Australian Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss said that in case the wreckage is identified as belonging to MH370, this would be consistent with other analysis that the resting place of the plane is in the southern Indian Ocean.

The search efforts, which are led by Australia, are focused on an area of 60 000 sq km of the southern Indian Ocean.

Boeing 777 was conducting a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, when it disappeared above the South China Sea less than an hour after it had taken off on 8 March 2014.