Train carrying bodies of MH17 victims arrives safely in Kharkov

Identification will be carried out promptly so that the victims' bodies can be returned to their families as soon as possible.

According to BBC, on July 22, the train carrying the bodies of the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 departed from the town of Torez and arrived safely in Kharkov. The transfer was made after international pressure was continuously applied on the separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine – the forces accused by the West and Ukraine of shooting down MH17.

The train carrying the bodies of MH17 victims arrived safely in Kharkov (Photo: Reuters)

Previously, this force also handed over the black box of the crashed plane to Malaysian officials.

Speaking to The Star, Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he was relieved when the train carrying 282 bodies and 87 body parts of MH17 victims arrived safely in Kharkov at around 11am on July 22 (Ukraine time).

“This is a significant milestone in the MH17 tragedy. The Malaysian forensic team will begin work to identify the victims as soon as the bodies arrive in Amsterdam,” said Liow Tiong Lai.

“We will make detailed arrangements regarding the identification of the bodies in Amsterdam so that their relatives can soon arrange for the funeral of the deceased,” the Malaysian Transport Minister added.

According to the plan, after arriving at the station, the train will be taken to an undisclosed area. A C-130 Hercules military aircraft will take the bodies back to the Netherlands, where the ill-fated plane departed.

Also on July 22, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the country is ready to fully cooperate with international organizations to clarify the crash of a Malaysia Airlines plane in eastern Ukraine.

Previously, on July 21, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution condemning the crash of a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane in eastern Ukraine, which killed 298 people, and called on all countries and organizations in the region to fully cooperate in the international investigation./.

According to VOV