
by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:45 AM ET, Tue March 22, 2016
Photo courtesy of Malaysia Airlines
On Tuesday, debris believed to be a piece of an airplane engine was discovered on the southern coast of South Africa, and will now be checked as a possible remnant of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
According to The Associated Press, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that the piece of debris was found near Mosselbay in South Africa, and that a team has been dispatched to retrieve the item.
Liow told The AP, "Based on early reports, there is a possibility of the piece originating from an inlet cowling of an aircraft engine," but that a full investigation into the debris needed to be conducted before it could be deduced if the item was from Flight 370 or not.
READ MORE: Was MH370 Intentionally Crashed?
The news comes less than a month after another piece of debris was discovered in Mozambique, which investigators are currently testing as a possible remnant of Flight 370. The latest possible discoveries follow the confirmation that a piece of one of the plane's wings was found on Reunion Island last July.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board during a journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Families and officials are hoping the latest debris is associated with the lost aircraft, as investigators have announced that the search will end in June if no further evidence is discovered.
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