MH370: Debris confirmed to be from Boeing 777

French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion

PETALING JAYA: The debris found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean is part of a Boeing 777.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi confirmed to The Star that the flaperon that was washed ashore on a beach was part of a Boeing 777 airliner.

Aziz said, however, it did not mean that the flaperon was that of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 which disappeared in March 2014.

"Yes, MAS (Malaysia Airlines) told me that the parts number of that flaperon is a Boeing 777, but it doesn't mean that it belongs to MH370.

"It confirms that the flaperon belongs to a (Boeing) 777," he said over the phone.

MH370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew.

Aziz said the Malaysian team of investigators had yet to arrive on the island given reports that a volcano had erupted there.

He said the team was on their way there from Hong Kong and were now expected to arrive "very late Saturday".

"They want to go to the site where the debris was found.

"Besides, they got to check one of the bags found on the island and they will do some analysis in the area," he said.

On the flaperon, Aziz said it would be flown to France today and expected to reach late Friday.

The flaperon is expected to be checked by French and Malaysian investigators in an ICAO-certified lab in Toulouse.