The discovery of a piece of plane debris that washed up on Reunion island in the southern Indian Ocean on Thursday, July 30, 2015 adds a new chapter in the mystery of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

On July 31, it was confirmed that the debris was part of a Boeing-777, according to an AFP report citing Deputy Transport Minister, Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi.

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Why is it significant to get confirmation that the debris found actually did come from a Boeing 777?

There have been several incidents involving the Boeing-777 aircraft since it first entered service in 1994. Of all those cases, only five concluded in the planes being deemed as total losses, also know as a 'hull loss'.

Of those five, there is only one documented case involving a 777 lost over an ocean.

Boeing 777