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| MH17 crash: International investigators finally reach wreckage site two weeks after Malaysian jet was brought down | MH17 crash: International investigators finally reach wreckage site two weeks after Malaysian jet was brought down |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An international team of investigators has finally reached the crash site of the Malasia Airlines jet MH17, two weeks after the plane came down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine. | An international team of investigators has finally reached the crash site of the Malasia Airlines jet MH17, two weeks after the plane came down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine. |
| The team, composed of forensic experts from the Netherlands and Australia and supported by an armed police escort, will start by scouring the site to check for bodies that have not yet been retrieved. | The team, composed of forensic experts from the Netherlands and Australia and supported by an armed police escort, will start by scouring the site to check for bodies that have not yet been retrieved. |
| Their arrival came after a week in which fighting between government and pro-Russian separatist troops repeatedly blocked their route to the area. | Their arrival came after a week in which fighting between government and pro-Russian separatist troops repeatedly blocked their route to the area. |
| A statement released by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that its monitors, who have previously been to the site, used "a new route" to access it this time accompanied by the international forensics team. | |
| Journalists at the scene on Thursday reported that the area where the plane came down appears still to be under the control of the rebels, who have previously been criticised for the lack of care with which they moved bodies to be placed on trains and planes bound for the Netherlands. | |
| The crash saw 193 Dutch citizens killed among a total of 298 passengers and crew. Last week many of the bodies arrived at a military barracks in Holland for identification. | The crash saw 193 Dutch citizens killed among a total of 298 passengers and crew. Last week many of the bodies arrived at a military barracks in Holland for identification. |
| It remains unclear exactly how many bodies remain at the site in Ukraine, and in what condition they would be after being exposed to the elements for so long. | It remains unclear exactly how many bodies remain at the site in Ukraine, and in what condition they would be after being exposed to the elements for so long. |
| The international team has also been tasked with collecting victims' belongings, following reports that they have been tampered with by rebel fighters. | The international team has also been tasked with collecting victims' belongings, following reports that they have been tampered with by rebel fighters. |
| Earlier on Thursday the Ukrainian government had said it would be suspending its offensive operations in eastern Ukraine to allow access for the experts - but said separatists were continuing to attack its positions in the area. | Earlier on Thursday the Ukrainian government had said it would be suspending its offensive operations in eastern Ukraine to allow access for the experts - but said separatists were continuing to attack its positions in the area. |
| Meanwhile, the Malaysian and Dutch prime ministers met at The Hague to discuss plans for repatriating the remains of the 43 Malaysian victims of the MH17 crash. | Meanwhile, the Malaysian and Dutch prime ministers met at The Hague to discuss plans for repatriating the remains of the 43 Malaysian victims of the MH17 crash. |
| After the talks with Mark Rutte, Malaysia's Najib Razak was due to travel to the military base in Hilversum outside Amsterdam where the process of identifying the remains of more than 200 victims continues. | After the talks with Mark Rutte, Malaysia's Najib Razak was due to travel to the military base in Hilversum outside Amsterdam where the process of identifying the remains of more than 200 victims continues. |