Malaysia Airlines MH370: Reunion police and army call off debris search

Police and army on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion have called off their search for further debris from Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 which is now believed to have crashed into the sea after vanishing during its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing last year.

After 10 days of air and sea searches, following the discovery of a flaperon last month on the shore of the French-governed island in July, no further wreckage were found.

The flaperon was confirmed as belonging to the missing Boeing 777, based on its paint colour and the maintenance record seal, according to Malaysian officials said.

"The statistical chances of discovering debris from the MH370 during coordinated searches appear to be extremely small," Reunion police said, Reuters reported.

A statement from France's state representative on the island, Dominque Sorain said that the searches "have not led to the identification of anything that could have a link with a plane," according to The Guardian.

The Independent said that close to 200 police officers on foot patrols have searched nearly the entire east coast of the island and that some unidentified objects have been sent for further information.

MH370 disappeared off the radar on 8 March last year with 239 passengers and crew on board.

Search for MH370 continues elsewhere

Australia will continue its search for the plane in the ocean stretch 2,600 miles to the east of Reunion, where experts believe the plane crashed killing all aboard.

Separately, Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said on 17 August that two new pieces of debris found in the Maldives are currently being analysed to see if they are linked to the missing aircraft.

"The first debris is a honeycomb material while the other has a flat surface. Both are small and can easily be lifted, "he told reporters, according to The Star.

"If it is plane material, then the pieces will be sent to the international investigation team to confirm if they belong to MH370," he said, adding that the verification process by the Malaysian team should not take long.