Malaysia waiting verification on 2 new suspected debris of MH370: official

Xinhua News Agency

text

Malaysia is waiting for the verification of the two newly discovered debris in Mozambique and Reunion Island, officials said Monday, as the country marks the two-year anniversary of the missing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

A moment of silence will be observed in the Malaysia Parliament on Tuesday, said Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, two years after Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, most of them being Chinese nationals.

An interim statement would be released by the joint investigation team, which comprises investigators and officials from Australia, China, France, Indonesia, Singapore, Britain and the United States, he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia remains steadfast in its search for the missing aircraft. An ongoing joint effort in South Indian Ocean has covered 90,000 square kilometers of the 120,000 square kilometer search area.

"The Governments of Malaysia, Australia and China have committed funds, equipments and vessels including Fugro Equator, Fugro Discovery, Havilla Harmony and Dong Hai Jiu 101 which are currently searching the area," he said.

The only confirmed debris from the MH370 so far was a wing part called flaperon discovered in the French overseas Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Two more suspected debris were found in Mozambique and Reunion Island respectively in the past week.

"We are awaiting verification of two more pieces of debris which were discovered recently in Mozambique and Reunion Island respectively," Liow said.

The minister said earlier that the debris washed ashore in Mozambique, which lies at the same corner of the Indian Ocean as the Reunion Island, may be from a Boeing 777, the same model as MH370.

Deputy transport minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi told reporters Monday that the second piece found in Reunion Island could be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight as it fit the drifting calculation.