A one-metre long piece of metal has been found almost two years to the day since the Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappeared.
The debris, believed to be part of a Boeing 777, is being taken to Australia to be examined by investigators involved in the search for MH370, which crashed en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur carrying 239 people, including six Australians.
Photos reportedly appear to show the fixed leading edge of the right-hand tail section of a Boeing 777.
The part, described as a fibreglass skin-aluminium honeycomb cored panel, also has the words "NO STEP" printed on it, which is common to aircraft.
Officials, however, have urged caution.
Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester on Thursday said the piece of wreckage - discovered off the east African coast between Mozambique and Madagascar - was of "interest" after his Malaysian counterpart Liow Tiong Lai earlier commented that there was a "high possibility" that it was from MH370.
"What I can confirm is that a piece of metal has been found in the order a metre long. It is of interest to us but I can't confirm at all that it's a piece of plane or a piece of anything to do with MH370 but it is a piece of metal that will be transferred back to Australia for proper analysis," Mr Chester told ABC.
"Out of respect to the families involved I wouldn't want to fuel any undue speculation in relation to the origin of the piece of metal."
Malaysia's transport minister Liow Tiong Lai, despite saying there is a "high possibility" that the piece of debris belonged to a 777 jet, added he could not conclude yet that it was from the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner.
Mr Liow said a team of investigators had been sent to Mozambique on Tuesday to inspect the object.
Malaysian authorities had sought the help of Australian investigators to secure the debris, because Malaysia did not have an embassy in Mozambique.
Mr Chester said it was understood that the government of Mozambique had secured the piece of debris.
Last year authorities found a piece of the plane's wing on the shore of Reunion island in the Indian Ocean on the other side of Madagascar.
