MH370: Three new possible pieces of debris found in Mozambique and Mauritius
The pieces will be sent to Australia to be examined by investigators
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Several pieces of debris have been found washed ashore in Mozambique and Mauritius which could be part of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Two pieces were found on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius and one in Mozambique, the Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said.
The wreckage will now be sent to be studied by Australian investigators to see if it came from the plane which disappeared over the South China Sea in March 2014.
It is believed that all 239 people on board the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing died.
Mr Chester did not release details on what the debris looked like or who found it, only saying the items are “of interest”.
The debris is the latest in a series of pieces reportedly found along the east coast of Africa over the past year.
Earlier this month, officials said a piece of engine cowling found in South Africa and an interior panel piece from an aircraft cabin found on Rodrigues Island off Mauritius were almost certainly from MH370.
These were the fourth and fifth pieces which have been deemed most likely to have come from the plane.
An extensive underwater search of a vast area of the Indian Ocean along Australia’s west coast has so far failed to find anything.
Crews are expected to complete their sweep of the search zone by July or August as they have less than 5,800 sq miles of the 46,000 sq miles search left to scour.
There are currently no plans to expand the search area beyond that.
Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau which is conducting the search, acknowledged it is looking less likely that the remains of MH370 will be found as the search nears the end.
He said: "That's just a statement of the obvious.
"We've covered a fairly significant proportion of our total search area without finding the aircraft and so we have to start considering the alternatives.
“But we've still got 15,000 square kilometres to go — which is a big chunk. ... So it's not as though we've given up."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments