Malaysia’s Prime Minister M Najib Razak has confirmed that the flaperon that washed up on Reunion Island last week is from MH 370.
“Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you that an international team of experts has conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370,” Mr Najib said.
At the press conference in KL he “committed to do everything to find out what happened to MH370” and added “it is my hope that this confirmation, however tragic and painful, will at least bring certainty to the families and loved ones.”
Mr Najib said the “the burden and uncertainty faced by the families” in the 515 days since the aircraft disappeared had been “unspeakable”. “We now have physical evidence that flight MH370 tragically ended in the southern Indian Ocean,” he added.
The confirmation came after the Malaysian PM spoke with Malaysia Airlines’ experts in Toulouse France.
An international team of investigators In France is due to conduct a full forensic examination of the Boeing 777 flaperon later today. The team is made up of experts from Malaysia, France, Australia and US and may be able to shed light on what might have happened to MH370.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared on March 8 last year on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew aboard.
Yesterday in Australia Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss confirmed that Australia, at the invitation of the French judiciary, has sent an expert from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to Toulouse, France, to take part in the examination of the flaperon.
The ATSB is leading the underwater search for MH370 1,800km west of Perth.
Mr Truss also revealed that CSIRO drift modelling, commissioned by the ATSB, confirms that material from the current search area would have been carried to Reunion Island, as well as other locations.
A drift modelling working group was set up, comprising a number of organisations including: the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Asia-Pacific Applied Science Associates (APASA), the US Coastguard, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and Global Environmental Modelling Systems (GEMS) to ensure that best practice modelling was put in place for the subsequent search.
A number of search and rescue datum buoys were also deployed which were used to measure actual surface drift in the search area and to validate the drift models being used. Similarly, real-time wind and wave data from the search area was used to continuously update the drift model. .
“For this reason, thorough and methodical search efforts will continue to be focused on the defined underwater search area, covering 120,000 square kilometres, in the southern Indian Ocean,” said Mr Truss.
The CSRIO has also conducted reverse drift modelling and while its states that it is “very imprecise when used for long time periods” it says that the results of reverse modelling are also consistent with the defined search area west of Perth.
Yesterday the Australian Federal government’s Joint Agency Coordination Centre encouraged people to report any item of interest on beaches they find to the relevant local authorities.
Malaysian Prime Minsiter’s full statement;
PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
MALAYSIA
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE
62502 PUTRAJAYA
6 August 2015
PRIME MINISTER NAJIB RAZAK STATEMENT ON MH370
On 8 March 2014, flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared. The days, weeks
and months that followed have been a period of torment for the families of those on board.
The plane’s disappearance was without precedent. At every stage, we followed the tiny amount
of evidence that existed. But, despite the efforts of 26 nations and the largest search in aviation
history, from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, the plane could not be located.
Neither could investigations by the world’s leading aviation experts answer why MH370 veered
off course and went dark. While the plane’s disappearance remained a mystery, we have
shared the anguish of those who could find no comfort.
Last week, on 29th July, we were informed by the French authorities that part of an aircraft wing
had been found on Reunion, the French island in the Indian Ocean.
Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that an
international team of experts have conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on
Reunion Island is indeed from MH370.
We now have physical evidence that, as I announced on 24th March last year, flight MH370
tragically ended in the southern Indian Ocean.
This is a remote, inhospitable and dangerous area, and on behalf of Malaysia I would like to
thank the many nations, organisations and individuals who have participated in the search.
The burden and uncertainty faced by the families during this time has been unspeakable. It is
my hope that this confirmation, however tragic and painful, will at least bring certainty to the
families and loved ones of the 239 people onboard MH370. They have our deepest sympathy
and prayers.
I would like to assure all those affected by this tragedy that the government of Malaysia is
committed to do everything within our means to find out the truth of what happened. MH370’s
disappearance marked us as a nation. We mourn with you, as a nation.
And I promise you this: Malaysia will always remember and honour those who were lost
onboard MH370.
ENDS
