France widens search for MH370 as families push for answers

Kuala Lumpur has asked for more help in the search for a Malaysia Airlines plane missing for more than a year, with France to send planes, boats and helicopters to scour the coast of a remote Indian Ocean island where debris washed up. Investigators on the French-governed island of Reunion have collected a piece of wing that Malaysia has said came from MH370, the first real clue in one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. MH370, a Boeing 777, disappeared in March 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board, most of them Chinese.

France is being cautious about it, but Malaysia is desperate to put an end to this case and run away from all responsibilities.

Dai Shuqin, the sister of a passenger

A piece of wing known as a flaperon was found on a Reunion beach last week. Malaysia said on Thursday paint color and a maintenance seal were matches for MH370, the first piece of direct evidence that it had crashed in the sea. The barnacle-covered piece of wing debris was flown to mainland France for investigation. The discovery of the flaperon sparked anger and scepticism among grieving Chinese families who want clearer answers and have accused Malaysia of withholding information. On Friday, about 50 family members staged a noisy protest near the Malaysian embassy in Beijing. They scuffled briefly with police who stopped them from entering a road leading to the embassy.

Asia-Pacific MH370