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Possible MH370 debris found on Mauritius

April 3, 2016

Australia has said it will examine newly discovered debris to determine if it is part of the missing airplane. Recent discoveries have shed new light on the mysterious disappearance of MH370.

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MH370
Image: Reuters/B. Gibson/Australian Transport Safety Bureau

Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester confirmed on Sunday that Malaysia was working with the government of Mauritius to determine if debris found on the Indian Ocean island is indeed part of the missing aircraft.

The Malaysia Airlines-operated flight caused a sensation around the world when it seemingly vanished without a trace in March 2014, taking all 239 people on board with it.

Since then, Australia has been working closely with the Malaysian government to determine the missing plane's whereabouts. In 2015, a part of the plane washed up on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, and last month Australia determined that debris found in Mozambique (pictured) was "almost certainly from MH370."

Too soon to tell

This latest suspected piece in the puzzle was discovered by a pair of tourists on the Mauritius island of Rodrigues. Chester, however, said it was too soon to draw any conclusions.

"This debris is an item of interest, however until the debris has been examined by experts it is not possible to ascertain its origin," he told reporters.

Australia, Malaysia and China are focusing their search on a 120,000 square kilometer (36,700 square mile) zone in the Indian Ocean. The countries have said they will cease their investigation when the whole area has been combed.

blc/jlw (Reuters, AFP)