Colombo – Malaysia said Monday 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 had joined the multinational search operation for the wreckage after debris washed ashore during the previous 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 offic.
The debris was recovered on Baa Atoll Fehendhoo and Fulhahdhoo islands west of the capital Male.
Malaysian Transport Minister, Liow Tiong Lai, by local media as that `at this stage, it is highly premature to speculate on whether this debris is in any way connected to MH370.’
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.
Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, announced that the wreckage was `conclusively’ found to be from the missing aircraft.
However, the French prosecutor spoke of a `very strong supposition’ that the wing part was from the Boeing 777.
“At this juncture, no verification of the debris has taken place,” Malaysia’s Liow was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, local media reported in Maldives that the debris could be part of the cargo from a barrage that capsized six months back.
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The captain of the barrage said the vessel capsized 22 kilometres away from Baa Atoll. (dpa/NAN)
