No plane link to new metal debris: report

A fevered hunt for more wreckage from missing flight MH370 on La Reunion island turned up no new clues yesterday as authorities said metallic debris found by locals did not come from an airplane.

Locals on La Reunion island have been combing the shores since a wing part was found last Wednesday, handing over bits of what they believe to be wreckage to police. Yesterday morning several pieces of debris sparked excitement, one of which was believed by locals to be from a plane door.

However investigators quickly shot down hopes. Malaysian authority  told AFP one item "was actually from a domestic ladder. It is not a door."

The palne disappeared on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai yesterday confirmed that the wing part had been "officially identified" as from a Boeing 777 -- making it virtually certain that it was from missing MH370. Flight MH370 is the only Boeing 777 to ever be lost at sea.

Scientists say it is plausible that ocean currents carried a piece of the wreckage as far as La Reunion. However authorities have warned that even if the debris confirmed to come from MH370 it is unlikely to completely clear up one of aviation's greatest puzzles. The mystery of what happened to the plane and where it went down exactly are still likely to persist unless the black box is found.