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Kuala Lumpur - A part number on aircraft wreckage recovered in the Indian Ocean confirms it came from a Boeing 777, a Malaysian official said on Friday, expressing confidence that the mystery of flight MH370 was close to being solved.
"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 told AFP.
The wing component found on the French island of La Reunion bears the part number "657 BB", according to photos of the debris.
AFP was not immediately available to reach Malaysia Airlines for comment.
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.
Hopes are rising fast that the part can soon be conclusively identified to solve the mystery of MH370, which vanished 16 months ago with 239 people aboard.
The 2m 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.
