France plans to scour the waters around Réunion Island for wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, widening the multinational search after the first confirmed piece of wreckage was found on the island last week.

The French Ministry of Defense said the government would deploy ships, helicopters and an Airbus military turboprop plane to look for wreckage in the waters around the French territory in the western Indian Ocean. Police also will step up foot patrols to collect possible debris after additional suspicious items...