Malaysia says possible MH370 debris found in South Africa

The curved piece of debris which may be part of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, in Wartburg, South Africa, on March 7, 2016. (Candace Lotter via AP)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Debris that might be part of a plane engine has been found on the southern coast of South Africa and will be checked to see if it belongs to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished two years ago, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said Tuesday.

Liow said the debris was discovered Tuesday near Mosselbay town.

"Based on early reports, there is a possibility of the piece originating from an inlet cowling of an aircraft engine," but a further examination and analysis are needed to verify whether it belongs to Flight 370, he said in a statement.

Liow said a team will be dispatched to retrieve the debris. The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The plane remains one of the biggest mysteries in modern aviation.

An Australian-led underwater search in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed, has found no trace of it so far. A piece from one of the plane's wings was found washed ashore on France's Reunion Island last July.

Two more possible pieces of debris which were discovered recently in Mozambique are being examined by an international investigation team in Australia.

Investigators have said the search will end by June unless fresh clues are found.