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Malaysian experts expected in Mauritius to examine possible MH370 debris

Xinhua, April 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Malaysian experts are expected in Mauritius this week to examine debris suspected to have come from a Boeing 777 of Malaysia Airlines which disappeared on March 8, 2014, Mauritius authorities have said.

The debris was found on March 31 along the beach at Var-Brule between Mourouk and Graviers by a French tourist couple living in Mourouk Ebony hotel in Rodrigues, a Mauritian territory situated some 600 km from Port Louis.

According to Mauritius Aviation Bureau, the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation had been alerted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and it was in contact with Mauritius.

The director of Malaysian Department of Civil Avition Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman confirmed in the Malaysian press on Monday that he was in contact with his Mauritius counterpart.

"The Malaysian government is working with Mauritius officials to carefully guard the debris so that it can be examined later," said on his part Dareen Chester, Australia's Transport Minister, whose country is supervising the search operations.

Don Thompson, an Australian independent expert who is working on the issue, said he saw a photo of the debris that looked like a wallpaper "design" from the inside of a plane.

A Mauritius security source told Xinhua the debris is currently in possession of police in Rodrigues island.

Jean Dominique Vitry, a former police officer, and his wife, Suzy, were taking a walk along the beach between Graviers and Mourouk when they discovered the debris, said Josie Milazar, the director of Mourouk Ebony hotel where the couple was staying.

The new discovery in Mauritius comes just two weeks after the announcement by Australian and Malaysian authorities that two pieces of debris found on the coast of Mozambique "most likely" came from MH370.

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. A joint search in southern Indian Ocean, where the flight presumably had ended its journey, has yet to find wreckage. Endit