Debris recently discovered in Mozambique most likely come from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished mysteriously two years ago, Australian officials said Wednesday.
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The Australian Government has confirmed that the debris found in Mozambique is nearly certainly from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
The fact that the debris washed up along the east coast of Africa was consistent with drift patterns theorized by investigators, Darren Chester, the Australian transportation minister, said in a statement, ABC reported.
“The analysis has concluded the debris is nearly certainly from MH370”, Mr Chester said in a statement.
Australia is leading the search for MH370 in the Indian Ocean, where the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight was believed to have diverted when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 passengers and crew. The water was then sieved and any potential biological material that was captured will be examined to see if it can be identified.
One of the newest pieces being examined had been discovered by a South African teenager who was on a family holiday in Mozambique.
The latest piece, which appears to show part of engine maker Rolls Royce’s logo, was found near Mossel Bay, a small town in Western Cape province by Neels Kruger, an archaeologist.
“Personally, I think all this information is useful for us in finding the plane”, said Steve Wang, a Beijinger whose mother was on board.
Chester also said despite the discovery, the search for MH370 will continue. Liam Lotter came upon the grey piece of debris while strolling on a beach in southern Mozambique in December and thought it might be from an aircraft.
A one meter-long piece of metal was found by American Blaine Gibson while scouring the coast of Mozambique at the beginning of the month.
It was placed in storage along with the family’s fishing gear and was almost forgotten – but the boy contacted the authorities when he read about the flaperon found on Reunion.
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Malaysia had also sent a team to retrieve a piece of debris found this week along the southern coast of South Africa to check whether it could belong to missing flight MH370. Liow, however, said the location for underwater search need not be changed.
