Roundup: Mozambique welcomes int'l help to probe aircraft debris

Mozambican aviation authorities said on Thursday that it welcomes international organizations with technical capacity to collaborate in the investigation and identification of the aircraft debris, which was found off the country's central coast three days ago.

Joao Abreu, the director of National Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique, showed the debris to the media at a press conference held in the institute, and pointed out that the speculation about whether the wreckage is from the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is "premature", without any actual evidence or technical detection to prove the estimation.

"Apparently it is a part of an airplane. But it is very difficult, for any accident investigator, to affirm to which kind of airplane this part belongs," said Abreu.

According to Abreu, the debris, with a length of 90 centimeters and a width of 57 centimeters, was found by Mozambican fishermen accompanying an American tourist on a sandbank near Vilanculos of the central Inhambane Province.

The debris, with a honeycomb structure inside, was delivered to the institute on Wednesday afternoon, added Abreu.

"To identify the debris, a capable professional institution is needed, the next step we will contact with international organizations, through diplomatic channels, to find those who have interests in analyzing the debris," said Abreu.

Up to now, Abreu said, his institute has received no case of aircraft parts losing from any registered airplanes across the country and airline companies that have routes through the Mozambican airspace.

Australian and Malaysian authorities responsible for the investigation of the disappearance of MH370 have already been in contact with the aviation institute, expressing interests in analyzing the debris, according to Abreu.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said on Thursday that a team will be sent to Mozambique to inspect the newly found debris there, and Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said on the same day in a statement that the airplane debris found in Mozambique would be transferred to Australia for examination.

"The debris is to be transferred to Australia where it will be examined by officials from Australia and Malaysia, as well as international specialists," the statement said.

Foreign media on Wednesday quoted an anonymous U.S. official as saying that a plane wreckage, very likely to be from a Boeing 777, was found wash ashore to the coast of Mozambique.

Flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200ER, disappeared on March 8, 2014, from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing with a total of 239 passengers on board, most of them Chinese nationals.

Last year, an aircraft flaperon was found on the island of La Reunion, which lies at the same corner of the Indian Ocean as Mozambique. Endit