Officials investigate plane debris found on Indian Ocean island for link to MH370

debris
(Image credit: Yannick Pitou/AFP/Getty Images)

Officials are investigating plane debris that washed ashore on Réunion Island, in the Indian Ocean, for any possibility that the piece might be linked to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which went missing sixteen months ago en route from Kuala Lampur to Beijing.

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"It is not possible at this time to ascertain whether the part is from a [Boeing 777] or from MH370," a French accident investigation agency said, although officials have confirmed that the piece, which appears to be from a wing, is not from a "small plane." Malaysia has sent a team to verify if the debris is indeed from Flight 370, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai announced during a press conference.

The debris could not be linked to other aviation accidents in the region, either, The Wall Street Journal reports, and while Réunion lies outside of the search zone for the missing flight, aviation consultants believe it's possible that debris from the missing plane could have washed up there.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.