Australian investigators will examine a piece of debris found off Mozambique for a connection to the missing flight MH370.
The discovery was made less than a week before the two-year anniversary of the day the plane disappeared off Malaysia Airlines’ radars with 239 people onboard.
An American tourist who was blogging about the missing Boeing 777-200LR was credited for the find near the town of Vilankulo in Inhambane province between Mozambique and Madagascar. This is within the same corner of the southern Indian Ocean where the confirmed wing flaperon was found in July last year.
Missing MH370 debris ‘found off the coast of Mozambique’ https://t.co/SDywAKBfW1 pic.twitter.com/QpREYgq2Bp
— The Independent (@Independent) March 2, 2016
Speaking to Reuters, Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Liow Tiong Lai, said the piece is on its way to Australia “for further examination”, however, there is a “high possibility” it belonged to the 777 jet.
“It is yet to be confirmed and verified … I urge everyone to avoid undue speculation as we are not able to conclude that the debris belongs to MH370 at this time.”
Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysia Transport Minister
According to Lai, Australian investigators were recruited to help secure the object because Malaysia doesn’t have an embassy in Mozambique.
While the piece is yet to be properly examined, NBC News has reported that the object could be a horizontal stabiliser, which is used on aircraft to provide stability and keep it flying straight.