MH370 probe: investigators discuss wing fragment

It was found on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion and returned to the French mainland.

However, he did not want to speculate if it was part of the missing MH370 plane.

Coastguard ships were deployed on Monday in the search, while appeals were made to private boats and fishermen to inform police if they sighted any possible wreckage, Duval added.

The mysterious disappearance of MH370 in March 2014 sparked a colossal hunt that had proved fruitless until the discovery of the flaperon raised fresh hopes.

In January, Malaysian authorities declared all 239 people on board MH370 presumed dead.

Last week a wing part washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, and has been taken to France to for physical and chemical analysis. Flight 370 is the only missing 777 and many are convinced the flap comes from the ill-fated jet.

The flaperon is being examined in a military laboratory in the southwestern French city of Toulouse that specializes in aircraft crash investigations, with results expected from tomorrow.

However, experts have warned grieving families not to expect startling revelations from a single part.

Meanwhile, more than 9,000 kilometres (5,500 miles) away, locals on La Reunion were scouring the beaches for more debris.

Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian Transport Minister, Liow Tiong Lai, has called for assistance from aviation authorities in the Indian Ocean region including the site of debris believed to be from the doomed Flight MH370. “But I checked with the Civil Aviation Authority, and people on the ground in Reunion, and it was just a domestic ladder”.

“Taking a Sunday morning stroll on the beach in La Réunion, walkers stumbled upon mangled metallic debris with what appears to be a type of door handle”.

However, Chinese Internet users suggested it may be a kettle.

A U.S. official had confirmed that same information after the wing part was found.

For victims’ families, the false alarms have reopened wounds as they seek closure from their personal tragedies.

“The search is going well and we get weekly reports”, he said.

“But as I said, we still need to confirm that through closer study”.