MH370: Volcano Erupts On Reunion Island Where Suspected Debris Was Found [Video]
A volcano erupted Friday on Reunion Island, the Indian Ocean Island where debris suspected to be part of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was found Wednesday.
The eruption of Piton de la Fournaise volcano at the Faujas crater occurred at about 10 a.m. local time Friday, according to local authorities. It hampered progress of work by Malaysian aviation experts investigating the 6-ft long wing flap found on a beach Wednesday.
The team of investigators was forced to evacuate the island on Friday, according to RT. It is feared that a severe eruption could force suspension of air searches for several days.
The Piton de la Fournaise volcano is among the most active volcanoes in the world. It is a World Heritage site located in the southeastern part of La Reunion, a French overseas territory island.
The latest eruption of the volcano is the second major incident this year.
Aerial views of the eruption were captured in breathtaking video and photos (see video above). The video and photos show hot lava flowing from the volcano.
But before the eruption Thursday, Malaysian officials confirmed that a number found on the debris matched that of a Boeing 777.
“We are increasingly confident that this debris is from MH370. The shape of the object looks very much like a very specific part associated only with 777 aircraft.”
“From the part number, it is confirmed that it is from a Boeing 777 aircraft. This information is from Malaysia Airlines. They have informed me.”
But officials stressed that they had not yet received confirmation that the number belongs to the missing Malaysia airlines flight MH370, which went missing on March 8 last year with 239 people on board, soon after it took off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing.
The discovery of a plastic bottle with Chinese script on it had also earlier increased conviction that the wing flap belonged to the missing flight MH370.
The debris has been sent to France for analysis by experts with the French Ministry of Defense.
The Daily Mail reports that the active volcano is not the only aspect of the natural environment menacing the islanders. There have been about 18 separate shark attacks on the island alone in the last four years, out of which seven were fatal and one involved a teenager.
Following the fatal shark attack on 13-year-old Elio Canestri in April, the French government approved hunting of sharks in the waters surrounding the island.
[Images: YouTube; Twitter]
