Debris suspected to be part of missing flight MH370 found in Mauritius

A piece of debris found on Rodrigues Island in the east-African nation of Mauritius is of interest to authorities searching for missing Malaysian Airlines flight, MH370.

The Australian government is aware of the wreckage, Dan O'Malley, spokesman for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, told Mashable Australia. The bureau, along with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, among other bodies, forms part of the Australian search effort.

Whether the debris belongs to the plane, which disappeared on Mar. 8, 2014 with 239 people on board, is not yet clear. Multiple pieces of debris suspected to have come from MH370 have been found in recent years, including on Reunion Island and near Mossel Bay in South Africa.

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"We can't say what it is from or how likely it is to be from MH370 until it has been professionally examined," O'Malley said. He confirmed the Malaysian government is in contact with the Mauritian government about the find and would decide how best to proceed.

The debris was found by guests visiting Rodrigues Island, hotel staff told CNN.

In March, Australia's Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester confirmed two pieces of debris found in March on the island of Mozambique were highly likely to be from MH370. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," he said in a statement.

A sea floor search led by Australia has so far failed to turn up firm evidence of the flight's fate. More than 95,000 square kilometres of seafloor have been examined.

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