File photo taken on March 3, 2016 shows a piece of an airplane displayed during a news conference in Maputo, capital of Mozambique. (Photo: Xinhua/Li Xiaopeng)
Three new pieces of airplane debris thought to be from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are set to be examined in Australia, the nation's transport minister announced on Thursday.
Two of the new pieces of debris are coming from the small nation of Mauritius while the third piece was found in Mozambique, with all three "of interest in connection to the disappearance of MH370," Transport Minister Darren Chester said.
"The Malaysian government is yet to take custody of the items, however as with previous items, Malaysian officials are arranging collection and it is expected the items will be brought to Australia for examination," Chester said in a statement released on Thursday.
"These items of debris are of interest and will be examined by experts."
The latest news follows an announcement earlier this month that pieces of debris found in South Africa and Mauritius over the last year were found to be "almost certainly" from MH370 after examination by experts in Australia.
According to the Joint Agency Coordination Centre -- the Australian body in charge of the Indian Ocean search for the missing Boeing 777 -- more than 105,000 square kilometers of the 120,000 square kilometer "search zone" in the southern Indian Ocean has been combed for evidence of the missing jetliner.
Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, most of them being Chinese nationals.
