By P Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR
Malaysia is to send a verification team to the Maldives after debris suspected to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 was found on the island.
Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement Monday that the country had been officially notified by the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority about unidentified debris, and would be sending the team to view and conduct preliminary verification.
"Once it is determined to be aircraft debris, discussions will be held to determine the next step in terms of the process of analysis," he said.
"At this stage, it is highly premature to speculate on whether this debris is in any way connected to MH370."
The discovery comes after a flaperon, apparently from the missing airliner, was discovered on the Indian Ocean territory of Reunion.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak later confirmed that the debris had been part of the Boeing 777 that vanished March 8 last year, however French Deputy Prosecutor Serge Mackowiak urged more caution, telling reporters in the French capital that there was “a very strong supposition” that the flaperon belonged to MH370.
Media have reported that authorities on the Maldives have taken possession of a 2.4 by 0.6 metres-long panel and more suspected debris has been recovered from Baa Atoll and Noonu Atoll islands.
Beijing-bound MH370, which vanished an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8 last year, was carrying 239 passengers and crew members, including 152 Chinese citizens.
Search and rescue operations have involved around 65 aircraft and 95 ships, as well as experts from 25 countries.
After a 10-month intensive undersea search for the vanished flight, Malaysia declared Jan. 29 that Flight MH370 was lost in an accident, with all on board killed.
