Search for MH370 debris on Reuion Island to last until Monday

The administrator of Reunion Island Dominique Sorain told the media on Friday the active search for more MH370 debris will continue until Monday.

Sorain said that if no significant debris that could be linked to MH370 plane were found by Monday, "we will move to a phase of heightened surveillance."

No debris related to the plane has been found in the sea during the 35 hours of a combined search by a CASA search plane of French army and three helicopters, he said, adding that police has discovered some debris on land and handed over to investigators.

According to Captain Jacques Luthaud from the armed forces in this searching mission, the search by CASA aircraft which was conducted in the southern territory did not lead to the discovery of any debris.

"On Aug. 16 and 17, the CASA plane will fly twice in the north coast and northwest of the island," Luthaud said.

He said according to data analysed by experts, the south, north and northeast regions of the Island are the most likely zones to have the plane's debris.

Sorain said the Reunion Island had so far not received any request from other countries to participate in the search.

Last Friday, France began aerial, land and maritime search to detect any new debris on Reunion Island's waters or on the Island's territory.

Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. A total of 239 people were on board, most of them Chinese.

On Aug. 5, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that according to findings of experts, the debris found in the Reunion Island was from the missing Malaysian Airline plane, while French investigators said there was a "very high probability" that the flaperon came from the plane. Endit