A piece of wreckage discovered on the beach of La Reunion island in the Indian ocean today could be part of the Malaysian Airlines jet MH370 which vanished in March 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board.
The two metre debris is believed to be part of a Boeing 777, the same model as the Malaysia Airline plane.
Speaking about the discovery, one witness said: "It was covered in shells, so one would say it had been in the water a long time."
Despite the fact that the wreckage has been discovered more than 3,000 miles from where the main underwater search for the wreckage is being conducted off the coast off Australia, aviation expert Xavier Tytelman has said it could not be ruled out that is is part of the missing plane.
He also noted a reference number on the wreckage as BB670, adding:
"This code is not a plane's registration number, nor serial number.
"However... it's clear that this reference would allow a quick identification. In a few days, we will have a definitive answer."
But Eric Chesneau, a French air transport police officer urged caution following today's discovery.
He said: 'People are getting ahead of themselves over this. It is more than likely plane debris, (but) we don't know what exact part it may be.'