New debris found in the Indian Ocean near Mauritius is being examined by Australian authorities to confirm if it belongs to flight MH370. The latest find comes just weeks after two pieces of debris confirmed to be part of the mysterious Malaysian Airlines flight was discovered in Mozambique.
A couple on vacation on the island of Rodrigues in Mauritius discovered the debris, Yahoo News said quoting an AFP report. Australian Minister of Transport Darren Chester was quoted in the wire report as saying that the Malaysian government is working towards gaining custody and examining the debris.
Chester told the news agency that the debris is an "item of interest." However, he said, until it is examined by officials, it is difficult to ascertain if it is associated with the missing flight. The report claimed that it remains unclear as to which country will examine it first.
According to media reports, aviation experts believe the debris could be part of the internal bulkhead belonging to the Boeing 777 flight. Experts believe the fragment is a piece from the economy or business class cabins.
Just weeks ago, Australian officials said debris found in Mozambique was "certainly from MH370." In 2015, French authorities also claimed part of a wing belonging to the ill-fated flight was discovered on the island of Reunion, the BBC reported.
Furthermore, should the latest piece of debris be confirmed as being from MH370, it would be the first piece of debris from inside the plane, the British website reported. Despite an extensive search
by the governments of Malaysia, Australia and China, progress has been slow.
The search for the missing flight is to end once the target area has been fully searched. The Malaysian Airlines flight bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur is reported to have diverted its route, and the flight disappeared on March 8, 2014, with more than 200 passengers and crew on board.
At the moment, Australia is leading the hunt, with more than 90,000sq km from an area of 120,000sq km combed during the search. The hunt for the missing flight is set to end in June. It is reported that by such time, the remaining area would be covered.
Watch a documentary on MH370: