MH370 team to check Maldives debris

epaselect epa04866313 A picture made available 30 July 2015 shows officers carrying pieces of debris from an unidentified aircraft apparently washed ashore in Saint-Andre de la Reunion, eastern La Reunion island, France, 29 July 2015. A Malaysian government team is being dispatched to the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, where newly found aircraft wreckage awakened speculation over flight MH370, which went missing last year with 239 people aboard.  EPA/RAYMOND WAE TION FRANCE OUT; CORBIS OUT

Malaysia is sending a team to Maldives to investigate if debris found by islanders is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Officials in Maldives said on Monday the government had 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.

The debris was recovered on Baa Atoll Fehendhoo and Fulhahdhoo islands west of the capital Male.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper 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.

While Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the wreckage was “conclusively” found to be from the missing aircraft, 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.

The captain of the barrage said the vessel capsized 22 kilometres away from Baa Atoll.

Latest News

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Tourism

Nielsen Data reveals brands spending big to attract Aussie tourists

TripADeal had the biggest outlay of the more than $153 million spent on travel and tourism advertising in Australia in the first quarter of 2024, followed by Virgin Australia and Flight Centre-owned Ignite Travel, new Nielsen Ad Intel data has revealed. And the industry ad spend enjoyed an increase of 8 per cent on the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]

  • Partner Content

My journey: Before becoming a travel agent I was… a palliative care nurse 

Australind Travel & Cruise, Travellers Choice member Saibra Twigg reveals her life as paediatric nurse then to palliative care before a career leap to travel agent. How did you become a palliative care nurse?  ST I went straight from school in nursing and initially specialised in paediatrics, working at Perth’s Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. […]

Partner Content

by Travel Weekly

Travel Weekly
  • Destinations
  • News

APT Launches 2025 Asia Adventures

APT has launched its Asia Adventures for 2025, including new luxury holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Five new tours lead guests to the highlights of India, including a seven-night cruise along the rarely travelled Lower Ganges aboard the Ganges Voyager. Further south, Sri Lanka’s greatest destinations are revealed on a new 15-day Land […]