'Moving close' to solving MH370 mystery: Malaysian minister

Kuala Lumpur - Minister says a piece of wreckage found in the Indian Ocean has been confirmed as coming from a Boeing 777.

Investigators are "moving close to solving the mystery of MH370," Malaysia's deputy transport minister said on Friday, adding that a piece of wreckage found in the Indian Ocean has been confirmed as coming from a Boeing 777.
"I believe that we are moving close to solving the mystery of MH370. This could be the convincing evidence that MH370 went down in the Indian Ocean," Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said.
A part number stencilled on the piece of wreckage recovered on the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion on Wednesday confirms it came from a Boeing 777, he said.
The ill-fated jet, which vanished 16 months ago with 239 people aboard, was a Boeing 777.
Abdul Aziz said he was informed of the confirmation of the part number by Malaysia Airlines.
"From the part number, it is confirmed that it is from a Boeing 777 aircraft. This information is from MAS (Malaysia Airlines). They have informed me," Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said.
The wing component found on the French island of La Reunion bears the part number "657 BB", according to photos of the debris.
Abdul Aziz's remarks are the latest by officials involved in the hunt for MH370 to indicate the increasingly likelihood that the piece of wreckage came from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, a Boeing 777 aircraft.
The two-metre long piece of wreckage, known as a flaperon, has been sent to France for analysis.
Abdul Aziz said the most definitive confirmation of the part's origin would have to come from Boeing, saying the aircraft manufacturer performed modifications to the flaperon that would make it easy to identify.