The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 became more intense on Wednesday after debris was found on the shores of southwest Australia. Marine experts intend to examine the debris to see if it is from the airplane, CBS News reported.
Authorities said the "materials washed ashore" were found near the town of Augusta by someone walking on a beach.
"The material was found a few days ago, but because we've just had a four-day weekend...nothing was done until today," said Scott Mayman from CBS Radio News. The materials are described as pieces of metal.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is examining photographs of the debris to "determine whether further physical analysis is required and if there is any relevance to the search of missing flight MH370," read a statement obtained by CBS News.
The materials were found 1,000 miles away from where search efforts for the plane are currently focused in the Indian Ocean. A U.S. underwater drone, the Navy Bluefin 21, has so far searched 80 percent of the designated 120-square-mile area on the ocean's floor, CBS News reported. So far no sings of the plane have been found.
Flight MH 370 vanished without a trace on March 8 after taking off from Kuala Lumpur headed for Beijing with 239 passengers onboard. A multinational search has been underway ever since.
There have been previous sightings of debris in the Indian Ocean that turned out to be unrelated to the plane, which has caused experts to remain skeptical when possible evidence turns up.
Experts said an initial inspection of the new materials did not reveal credible evidence.
'We do not consider this likely to be of use to our search for MH 370," ATSB Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan told the Associated Press, according to CBS News. "At this stage, we are not getting excited."
