KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 ― Australian authorities have dismissed news reports claiming that sonar images of two box-like shapes on the floor of the Indian Ocean could be from the missing MH370 airliner, reported Australia Associated Press (AAP).

The news agency quoted a spokesman for Transport Minister Warren Truss as  confirming that the objects were not from the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370.

“These are old images, discounted months ago.

“In fact, they are the least likely to be aircraft debris,” said the spokesman.

The reports which were published by some foreign and Malaysia's local media today, described the “category 3” sonar finds, by one of the search and recovery ships, as being the most likely to be aircraft debris. AAP said the underwater search had identified more than 400 seabed features classified as category 3, which was assigned to sonar contacts that were of some interest as they stood out from their surroundings but had low probability of being significant to the search for the plane.

On July 29, a piece of the aeroplane wing was discovered on the Reunion Island coast and was sent to France for further analysis.

On August 6, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak confirmed that part of the flaperon found on Reunion Island belonged to the aircraft.

Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, last year while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board. ― Bernama