(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Malaysia said yesterday that it was sending a team to Maldives to investigate if debris found by islanders was from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Officials in Maldives said that the government has joined the multinational search operation for the wreckage after debris washed ashore during the past week.
"The debris are being collected and placed in a warehouse for further tests and examinations by the Malaysian authorities," said Mohamed Shareef, a minister in the Maldives' president's office, yesterday.
The debris was recovered on Baa Atoll Fehendhoo and Fulhahdhoo islands west of the capital Male.
Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai confirmed that Kuala Lumpur will send a team to Maldives to verify the suspected plane debris found in Maldives.
"We will be dispatching a team to Maldives to view the debris as well as conduct preliminary verification," he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur. "At this stage, it is highly premature to speculate on whether this debris is in any way connected to MH370."
"Once it is determined to be aircraft debris discussions will be held to determine next steps in terms of the process of analysis," he added.
Liow stressed that it is still too early to speculate if the debris found in Maldives is related to the missing MH370.
"I urge all parties to allow the verification process to take its course," he said. "Undue speculation will only stress the families and loved ones anxiously awaiting news on this matter."
The Beijing-bound Boeing 777, with 239 people aboard, disappeared without a trace about an hour after it left Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8, 2014.
Sixteen months later, debris washed up on the French island of Reunion, which was examined by aviation experts in southern France.
After that discovery, the Malaysian authorities alerted nearby Madagascar and the South African coast to be on the lookout, saying that it was possible debris would wash up in those locations.
Mauritius has also joined the search.
While Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced that the wreckage was "conclusively" found to be from the missing aircraft, the French prosecutor was more cautious, speaking of a "very strong supposition" that the wing part was from the lost Boeing 777.
Local media reported in Maldives that the debris could be part of the cargo from a barrage that capsized six months back.
The captain of the barrage said that the vessel capsized 22km away from Baa Atoll.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.