INTERNATIONAL experts have suspended their search for body parts at the MH17 crash site because of deteriorating security in eastern Ukraine, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says.
“It doesn’t make sense to continue with the repatriation in this manner,” the Dutch leader told a press conference in The Hague.
Mr Rutte said increasing tension between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists in the area has made it too unsafe to continue with the search for victims’ remains.
“It goes without saying that Australia and Malaysia and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation are with us on this issue,” Rutte said.
“We have done what we could under the current circumstances,” he said.
A total 298 passengers and crew were killed when the Boeing 777 jet flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was blown out of the sky almost three weeks ago.
The United States says insurgents shot down the plane with a surface-to-air missile likely supplied by Russia, but Moscow and the rebels blame the Ukrainian military.
Meanwhile, Dutch investigators have said a preliminary report into the cause of the crash won’t be completed by its deadline.
Those searching for bodies had asked residents in the Eastern Ukraine village of Rozspyne for assistance in finding and handing over any personal belongings of the passengers on the downed Malaysia Airlines flight and also any human remains.
The investigation team is also asking residents to come forward with eyewitness accounts and information about the day the jet exploded over their quiet village on July 17, raining aircraft parts, suitcases and personal belongings and bodies down upon them.
Earlier for the fifth consecutive day, the international team of police and experts searching the crash site had their work interrupted by fighting in the vicinity of the site.
The head of the mission, Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, said a small number of personal belongings from the passengers on board MH17 were found on Tuesday but no human remains.
Mr Aalbersberg said that locals and the local authorities had recovered a large amount of human remains immediately after the crash and this may explain why now it is mostly personal belongings being recovered.
Grim task ... Australian, Malaysian and Dutch investigators examine the area of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Picture: AP Source: AP
“It once again became clear that the crisis situation is a limiting factor for the experts’ work. The plain fact is that there is active fighting in the area. Access to the crash site is never 100 per cent certain,” Mr Aalbersberg said.
On Tuesday a large area near the village of Roszypne was searched, stopping temporarily due to fighting.
Later in the day a smaller group of experts then worked undisturbed in the afternoon. The search of the area around the village has now been completed.
So far only two of the 298 passengers and crew on board MH17 have been positively identified by a team of disaster victim identification experts working in the Netherlands.
On Monday a single coffin, containing human remains found during searches on Friday and Saturday, was returned to the Netherlands. About 250 family members of the victims, most Dutch, was at Eindhoven air base to witness the repatriation ceremony.
Dutch authorities have pledged that each return of remains will be accorded the same ceremony. However there is no word yet on when any more remains will be returned.
And authorities have said they will announce the details of positive identification of bodies each Friday.
Wreckage examined in detail ... Investigators at the site where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down. Picture: APSource: AP
Dutch police say they have now received 302 photographs and videos of the crash, the crash site and the disaster after making a public appeal for all material to be provided.
Investigators intend using them to conduct a reconstruction of the crash and to piece together what happened.
They say the files are still being downloaded and examined and it is too early to say exactly what they contain.
The files have come from all around the world, including the Ukraine in response to a police plea for assistance.
Tense situation ... A pro-Russian rebel, left, guards as Australian, Malaysian and Dutch investigators examine the area of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Picture: AP Source: AP
Source: http://www.news.com.au
No comments:
Post a Comment