IANS

Rio de Janeiro, Jun 3: Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim said Tuesday that the authorities are certain they found the debris of the missing Air France passenger plane around midday in the Atlantic Ocean.

A Brazilian Air Force (FAB) plane found a "set of fragments" spread over a five-kilometre radius some 640 km off the island Fernando de Noronha, Jobim said.

Jobim noted that the objects found were metal pieces and wires, apparently part of the structure of the missing plane, and a floating passenger seat.

"Everything indicates that the plane fell in that region. It is not likely that the tide has gathered five kilometres of material. Our position is that it is part of the Airbus," Jobim explained.

He had personally informed relatives of the passengers and crew in Rio before making the announcement.

The new fragments were found hours after FAB pilots spotted in the same area some debris of a plane - presumably the missing Air France machine.

The Airbus 330-200, carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members, went suddenly missing early Monday morning after leaving Rio headed to Paris.