Police take away an item found washed up on Reunion Island days after a wing-part was sent to France examination
A 'metallic' object that could be from the missing plane MH370 has been found washed up on Reunion Island, say Sky sources.
Sky's David Bowden said it was discovered in a different location to the flaperon which is currently undergoing tests in France to find out if it is from MH370.
The flaperon was found on a beach in the town of Saint-Andre. Bowden said the new object was found closer to the capital Saint-Denis.
Pictures taken before police took the object away show a twisted piece of metal with symbols etched into it, with a handle that looks as if it is made from leather or plastic.
Bowden said that although it is not known if the object is from the doomed Malaysia Airlines flight or from a Boeing 777, it had Chinese and Malaysian writing on it and was thought to be from the inside of an aircraft.
He said it was taken away by police in an aluminium case that was just over 30cm (one foot) long.
Bowden said he approached the officers on Reunion and was told: "No comment."
It was earlier thought that the object found was the door of a plane, but Bowden said that did not now appear to be the case.
Malaysian officials, who were said to be heading to La Reunion on Saturday, have said they want to expand the area being searched for debris to other aviation authorities in other parts of the Indian Ocean.
It comes after other reports that debris that could have come from the plane washed up previously on beaches on La Reunion but was burned because it was not thought significant.
MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014.
The latest find comes as the wing part that was found earlier on Reunion arrived at a French laboratory for analysis.
The debris, which was first flown to Paris, was driven to a military base near Toulouse, which specialises in analysing aviation wreckage.
Air accident experts will examine the wreckage to determine whether it belongs to MH370.
If confirmed, the discovery could offers hope of an explanation to the families and loved ones of the 239 missing passengers and crew.
Aviation experts say the component may have stayed afloat due to air pockets in its structure and is almost certainly part of a Boeing 777.
Experts will attempt to verify the serial number of the wing-flap before conducting further tests to establish why it separated from the rest of the plane.
Investigators believe someone on board MH370 may have switched off its transponder, which allows it to be located, before flying it thousands of miles away from its intended course.
Source: www.news.sky.com
