MH370: France to conduct air, land, sea searches around Reunion island

“It is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you that an global team of experts has conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370″, Najib said. Last week, a piece of debris was found that was believed to be from a plane but turned out to be a simple house ladder.

Reason for caution lies in French investigators stopping short of backing the confirmation, instead saying there was a “very strong presumption” that the debris belonged to MH370, although more study was needed before there could be conclusive proof. They scuffled briefly with police, who blocked the relatives from approaching the mission.

Criticism of the expense and duration had been growing, particularly in Australia, which is leading the mission and shouldering the cost with Malaysia.

“A quick conclusion will not do justice to the next of kin of the victims”, he said.

She said China is continuing to playing a key role in the search for the missing Boeing 777 but, now that more debris has been found, has urged the Asian nations, China and Malaysia, to join Australia in ramping up the efforts. Examination of the part is continuing.

“It gave a real boost to the teams that are out there searching and our people in Canberra and Perth”, the search chief told AFP of the find.

The Chinese government yesterday requested that Malaysia continue to investigate the cause of the accident, provide the families with necessary help and uphold their lawful rights and interests.

Many Chinese relatives of MH370 passengers have consistently questioned official accounts and expressed belief that their loved ones are alive, perhaps being held at an unknown location, despite the mounting evidence of a fatal crash.

The Boeing 777 was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, when it vanished from the radar.

The fragment – a 6-foot-long, barnacle-encrusted wing flap – was discovered on July 29 by a crew cleaning the beach on Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of Africa.

Window panes and seat cushions had also been found near Reunion which were yet to be identified, he said.

“They are little parts, but the debris can not be verified if it belongs to MH370”.

“We’re not satisfied, we just want our relatives back”.

Malaysian officials have said the plane’s movements were consistent with deliberate actions by someone on the plane, suggesting someone in the cockpit intentionally flew the aircraft off course.

Paris had earlier announced that it would conduct new air, land and sea searches on and around the Indian Ocean island in hopes of finding more debris which could be linked to MH370.

“All the wounds have been opened again following the discovery of a wing part on Reunion Island thought to be from the missing plane”.