Australia, Malaysia closer to solving MH370 mystery

Australian and Malaysian Prime Ministers today voiced confidence in solving MH370's "baffling mystery", a day after Malaysia confirmed the plane debris washed up on an Indian Ocean island was from the ill-fated jet that vanished last year with 239 people aboard.
Hopes of closure for the passengers of the Malaysia Airlines flight were rekindled as paint colour and technical details of the wing part or flaperon found on La Reunion last week matched the airlines records.
"What we have found in the West Indian Ocean does seem to indicate that the plane did come down more or less where we thought it did and it suggests for the first time we might be a little bit closer to solve this baffling mystery," said Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot.

His remarks came a day after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in a late last night announcement said that a team of international investigators had confirmed in France that the piece of wreckage was from MH370.
Malaysia Airlines called the confirmation as a "major breakthrough" in solving the mystery of the flight's disappearance that has made little headway despite a multi- nation search led by Australia for the Boeing 777 since last year.
In a Facebook post today, Najib said he was optimistic.

"It has been more than a year but I still remain hopeful. As new evidence and clues emerge, God willing, we will find #MH370," he wrote.

Najib assured those affected by the tragedy that the Malaysian government was committed to find out the truth behind what could have happened to the missing Boeing 777 that disappeared mid air on March 8 last year with 239 people on board, including five Indians.
Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai had said the conclusion was reached as the technical details of the flaperon matched the airlines records.
"From our first observation, the colour tone and all maintenance records that we have, we know. Our records show that it's the same as MH370," Liow said, adding that there are "many other technical details that I do not have to reveal" but that confirm the part is from Flight 370.

Media reports also cited him as saying that window panes, aluminium foil and seat cushions have been found on La Reunion but it was not clear whether they were from the missing plane. Another report citing a legal source said that French investigators have not received any further pieces of debris.
Authorities in France, the US and Australia have not fully confirmed that the flaperon was from MH370 and so far only Malaysia has made the announcement, in what has irked the relatives of the victims due to lack of clarity.