Investigators may have made another breakthrough in the search for MH370 with the discovery of what could be aircraft wreckage lying on the floor of the Southern Indian Ocean.

Underwater photographs taken by the team scouring the ocean for signs of the missing plane appear to show box-like objects which may be parts of the Boeing 777 which went missing in March 2014.

The objects were clearly visible on the sea-bed, with five thin, long pieces located nearby.

• Search resumes on Reunion Island
• Experts urge caution over MH370 debris discoveries

Reports said the materials had been described by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau as “category 3” sonar finds, suggesting a strong likelihood that they were from an aircraft.

A UK website reported that the images were taken by Los Angeles based search company Fugro Suvey and Go Phoenix, another business contracted by Malaysia to helps find the missing jet.

However, hopes that the discovery could be another significant clue about the location of the airliner have been tempered by Fugro managing director Steve Duffield, who said the objects would remain out of reach until at least November or December because of severe weather conditions.

The box-like objects found on the ocean floor. Image: ATSB

“We just can’t [launch] in these seas,” he told The Daily Mail Australia.

“There are some contacts out there that still need to be identified, it [AUV] can get in and identify them. There are certainly some out there.”

Five vertical lines which searchers say could be debris related to MH370. Image: ATSB

France to resume search

France will conduct air and sea searches off its Indian Ocean territory of Reunion until the start of next week for debris from missing flight MH370, the island’s top official says.

A wing part was found on July 29 on the French territory and confirmed by the Malaysian prime minister to be part of the Boeing 777 which went missing on March 8, 2014 with 239 people onboard, including 39 Australian residents and citizens.

“Coordinated searches will continue until the beginning of next week,” the island’s top authority said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that searches so far had yielded “no significant elements.”

He said the searches would be shifted to the periphery of the initial area scoured, especially to the south.
Saint-Andre, the town of 50,000 where the wing part washed up, has had a surreal fortnight as the world’s media has suddenly descended in droves.

Since Monday, there have been a total of 45 and a half hours of land searches and 15 hours of maritime and air searches.

The search was launched on August 7 and had to be suspended due to bad weather before being resumed.

-with AAP