Reunion Debris Confirmed to be from MAS MH370

6th Aug 2015

The one-year mystery is finally coming to an end. Debris that washed up on the northern shore of Reunion Island in western Indian Ocean was confirmed to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing last year in March.

Malaysia’s transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement that the team has located several pieces of debris, including some aluminum foil, a seat cushion and a window pane.

Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak said:

Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you that an international team of experts have conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370. We now have physical evidence.

The Prime Minister continued:               

The burden and uncertainty faced by the families during this time has been unspeakable. They have our deepest sympathy and prayers. I would like to assure all those affected by this tragedy that the government of Malaysia is committed to do everything in our means to find out the truth of what happened.

He finished by saying:

MH370 disappearance marked us as a nation. We mourn as a nation; Malaysia will always remember and honour those who were lost on board MH370.

Malaysia Airline Informs Relatives of MH370 Crew and Passengers

In a statement of its own, the Malaysian carrier said it has already informed the relatives of MH370 crew and passengers.

The statement said:

This is indeed a major breakthrough for us in resolving the disappearance of MH370. We expect and hope that there would be more objects to be found which would be able to help resolve this mystery.

It continued:

Moving forward, Malaysia Airlines’ priority will continue to provide latest updates and information to the families and will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities on the investigation and recovery of this tragic accident.

Other Pieces of Debris have also washed up on Reunion Island’s Coast

Beach cleaners at La Reunion have found a flaperon on the island’s shore. As the search continued, other objects were also found on the island, including, what was later confirmed to be a plane window.

Earlier, experts in Toulouse have confirmed that the wing part, also found on Reunion, was indeed from a Boeing 777 plane, the same model the MH370 was. However, further tests were needed to definitely confirm if it was from the missing aircraft or not.

The search for the plane concentrated on an area around Australia, as the experts were convinced that this is where the wreckage will be found. However, Reunion is located some 3,700 kilometers off Australia.

Malaysia Airlines MH370 Boeing 777-200ER went off the radar on 8^th March, 2014, with 239 people on board. The plane was on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.