KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — Although the remains of victims from the downed Malaysia Airlines jetliner are on their way to the Netherlands, and the black box recorders are being turned over to the airline, similar progress isn’t being seen at the crash site itself.
The pro-Russian separatists who are in control of the area are showing little willingness to allow the full-scale investigation that’s being demanded by world leaders. The wreckage is still unguarded across a wide stretch of farmland. International observers say there are signs that the debris is being mishandled or even tampered with.
A rebel leader is quoted by Russia’s Interfax news agency as saying the insurgents are willing to guarantee the security of all international experts. But it’s not clear if that means the investigators will have complete access.
A train carrying remains of the victims arrived today in Ukrainian government-held territory. The bodies are expected to be flown tomorrow to the Netherlands, where a day of mourning has been declared.
It’s not clear how many of the 282 bodies found so far were on the train. The crash killed all 298 people aboard. About two-thirds were from the Netherlands.
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184-a-17-(Professor Anthony Busuttil (boo-SUH’-tihl), former Lockerbie crash chief pathologist, in AP interview)-“picked up willy-nilly”-Anthony Busuttil, a pathologist who headed the examination of the Lockerbie disaster victims, says the crash site remains unsecured, with a disturbingly casual approach to evidence. (22 Jul 2014)
< 185-a-17-(Professor Anthony Busuttil (boo-SUH’-tihl), former Lockerbie chief pathologist, in AP interview)-“a different story”-Anthony Busuttil, a pathologist who headed the examination of the Lockerbie disaster victims, says it will be extremely hard for investigators to create a clear forensic picture of the Malaysian Airlines crash over Ukraine. (22 Jul 2014) < APPHOTO XVG131: The remains of a jet engine are seen through windows of the charred fuselage, at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 near the village of Hrabove, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, July 22, 2014. A team of Malaysian investigators visited the site along with members of the OSCE mission in Ukraine for the first time since the air crash last week.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (22 Jul 2014) < Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.