BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The wreckage found on La Reunion Island has once again kindled the public's attention to the ill-fated MH370 -- a flight which went missing on March 8, 2014.
As 239 people vanished with the plane on that fateful night, their heart-broken families have had to endure the grilling uncertainty about the fates of their loved ones ever since.
Will this wreckage be the first bit of physical evidence recovered from the Malaysian jetliner?
Q: What has been found on La Reunion Island?
A: The piece of debris found on La Reunion Island, east of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, is thought to be a flaperon -- a small, lightweight piece attached to the wing, which aviation experts and oceanographers believe could have stayed afloat while other, heavier pieces of the aircraft sunk.
A witness reportedly described the piece as "partly encrusted with shells", indicating a long time under water.
In addition, a "closed" suitcase "in very bad condition" was found early in the day in the same place where the plane debris was washed up onto the island.
Q: Is the wreckage from a Boeing 777?
A: It is still too early to tell.
Despite the speculations that the wreckage is from a Boeing 777, authorities and experts deem it premature to reach a conclusion before analysis results are released.
Verifying the wreckage could take one week or more, U.S. daily New York Times said, citing a French official with knowledge of the investigation.
The plane wreckage is being transferred to Toulouse to be analyzed by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA). The wreckage piece will arrive Saturday in Toulouse, and will be studied by the laboratory specializing in "investigations after accidents."
Q: If the wreckage is confirmed to be from a Boeing 777, can we be certain that it is from the missing MH370?
A: Yes, we can.
There is only one Boeing 777 unaccounted at present -- the Malaysian jetliner that disappeared nearly 17 months ago with 239 people aboard.
Q: Can the wreckage help us find the aircraft?
A: Almost impossible.
Even if the wreckage does prove to be part of the missing MH370, it will not contribute to our knowledge of where the aircraft lies.
The highly probable chance is that the plane has fallen into the ocean and remained there for more than 500 days. The currents of the Indian Ocean move in a complicated and unpredictable way and the effects of typhoons, tropical storms and etc. should also be considered.
