MH370 families asked to identify personal items found in Madagascar

PHOTOGRAPHS of personal items that washed up on a beach in Madagascar are being shared by relatives of those on board missing flight MH370, in a bid to identify them.

MH370 families have posted pictures of personal items found on the beaches of Madagascar near where other suspected aircraft debris was located by Blaine Gibson. Picture: Facebook

FAMILIES of MH370 passengers and crew have posted photographs of what could be the first personal items from the missing plane found on the shores of Madagascar by US blogger Blaine Gibson.

Mr Gibson provided the photographs to Air Crash Support Group Australia and MH370 families, in the hope some of the items could be identified as belonging to people on board the missing Boeing 777.

The items include handbags and backpacks, some with notable features — such as a white, red and black Angry Bird purse, a tartan handbag and part of a black laptop case featuring the letters “MENSA”.

MH370 families have posted pictures of personal items found on the beaches of Madagascar by Blaine Gibson, near where he located other possible debris from the Boeing 777. Picture: Facebook

In a post on the MH370 Families Facebook page, next of kin said Mr Gibson had been careful to point out the items may well have nothing to do with the personal effects of passengers on MH370.

“Nonetheless, they were all found in Riake Beach, Isle Ste. Marie, (Nosy Boraha), Madagascar, the same 18-kilometre long beach where (Mr Gibson) found debris that is under investigation as potential debris from MH370,” said the post.

Three other items found in the same area this month by Mr Gibson were handed to Malaysian officials and are expected to be examined by Australian experts in Canberra.

MH370 families have posted photographs of personal items found on the beaches of Madagascar, in the area where other suspected aircraft debris was found by Blaine Gibson. Picture: Facebook

Mr Gibson previously found a plane part in Mozambique that was confirmed as “almost certainly” coming from the missing aircraft.

He has devoted more than a year of his life to travelling the world, trying to find answers to the mystery of MH370’s disappearance.

It is over two-years since the Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared after taking off from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board.

An intensive deepwater search of the Southern Indian Ocean has so far failed to find any trace of the Boeing 777.

Personal items discovered on Madagascar's shoreline by Blaine Gibson. Picture: Facebook

Officials from Australia, China and Malaysia are meeting in Kuala Lumpur this week to discuss the next course of action in the search, due to end in August.

Governments from the three countries have previously said there will be no further extension to the search area over 120,000 square kilometres.

Australia did not provide any further funding for the operation in the May budget, after spending $90 million in the past two-years.

Theories as to what may have happened on board the aircraft range from a catastrophic fire to a terrorist act by a “rogue pilot”.

MH370 families have shared pictures of personal items found on the beach of Madagascar, near where other possible aircraft debris was located by Blaine Gibson. Picture: Facebook