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| MH370 search: Plane debris arrives in France | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| A piece of debris that experts believe could be from missing flight MH370 has arrived in France from the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, where it was found on Wednesday. | |
| The object, believed to be part of a wing, is now at a defence ministry laboratory in Toulouse for analysis. | |
| The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished in March 2014. | The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished in March 2014. |
| There were 239 passengers and crew on board. | There were 239 passengers and crew on board. |
| Since then, an Australian-led search effort has been focused on a vast area of the southern Indian Ocean about 4,000km (2,500 miles) to the east of Reunion, a French overseas department to the east of Madagascar. | Since then, an Australian-led search effort has been focused on a vast area of the southern Indian Ocean about 4,000km (2,500 miles) to the east of Reunion, a French overseas department to the east of Madagascar. |
| Experts have said the two-metre (6ft) object washed up on a beach could be a moveable piece of a Boeing 777's wing, called a flaperon. | Experts have said the two-metre (6ft) object washed up on a beach could be a moveable piece of a Boeing 777's wing, called a flaperon. |
| A team from Malaysia Airlines has already arrived in Toulouse and French officials say analysis of the part should begin on Wednesday. | A team from Malaysia Airlines has already arrived in Toulouse and French officials say analysis of the part should begin on Wednesday. |
| The military laboratory is expected to verify the serial number of the object and conduct further tests. Fragments of a suitcase found on the same beach are also to be examined. | The military laboratory is expected to verify the serial number of the object and conduct further tests. Fragments of a suitcase found on the same beach are also to be examined. |
| The centre in Toulouse was also involved in analysing debris from the Air France flight AF447 which crashed on a flight from Brazil to Paris in 2009, killing 228 people. | The centre in Toulouse was also involved in analysing debris from the Air France flight AF447 which crashed on a flight from Brazil to Paris in 2009, killing 228 people. |
| Location of a flaperon on a Boeing 777 | Location of a flaperon on a Boeing 777 |
| Missing Malaysia plane: What we know | Missing Malaysia plane: What we know |
| MH370: Behind the tenacious deep-sea hunt for missing plane | MH370: Behind the tenacious deep-sea hunt for missing plane |
| Earlier, Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, said the agency was "increasingly confident that this debris is from MH370". | Earlier, Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, said the agency was "increasingly confident that this debris is from MH370". |
| "There is no other recorded case of a flaperon being lost from a Boeing 777," Mr Dolan said. | "There is no other recorded case of a flaperon being lost from a Boeing 777," Mr Dolan said. |
| However, he also said the discovery of debris might not help pinpoint where the plane went down. | However, he also said the discovery of debris might not help pinpoint where the plane went down. |
| "Over the last 16 or 17 months, any floating debris would have dispersed quite markedly across the Indian Ocean," he told AFP news agency. | "Over the last 16 or 17 months, any floating debris would have dispersed quite markedly across the Indian Ocean," he told AFP news agency. |
| Authorities believe the plane veered off course - for reasons unknown - and went down in the southern Indian Ocean. Its estimated last location was based on "pings" sent from the plane that were detected by satellite. | Authorities believe the plane veered off course - for reasons unknown - and went down in the southern Indian Ocean. Its estimated last location was based on "pings" sent from the plane that were detected by satellite. |
| However, no physical evidence has been found and in January Malaysian authorities declared that all on board were presumed dead. | However, no physical evidence has been found and in January Malaysian authorities declared that all on board were presumed dead. |
| Australian officials and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have said the location of the debris on Reunion was consistent with drift analysis provided to investigators. | Australian officials and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have said the location of the debris on Reunion was consistent with drift analysis provided to investigators. |
| Simulation of where debris in search area could end up | Simulation of where debris in search area could end up |