CRI听力:France Extends Search for MH370 Debris

French officials say the country is ramping up the search for debris of MH370 in and around the Island of Reunion.

Right now, a helicopter and plane have been flying above the remote Indian Ocean island, while a speedboat is searching in the water.

At the same time, the search area has been extended to another 60 thousand square kilometers.

Jacques Luthaud, Senior Commander of the French Army in the Southern Indian Ocean Zone, says weather and available resources are factors needed to consider when deploying additional search measures.

"Engaging a plane will first require technical and personnel availability and mainly weather conditions -- which we must observe that on a day like today, we don't have ideal conditions, even though it was a little better along the coast than over here -- and then it will require, as we say in military jargon, conduct, depending on what the plane sees and doesn't see."

Earlier, French authorities said additional debris, including a plane window, was found; but none are confirmed to have come from MH370.

So far, Malaysian authorities only confirmed the wing section found on the island is linked with the flight disappearing on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 of last year.