80 bodies still unrecovered at MH17 crash site

Two weeks after Malaysian Air flight MH17 was shot out of the sky over Ukraine, at least 80 bodies of passengers of remain out in the field in Donetsk where it came down.

Julie Bishop, Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs says this is shown in new information that has reached her. The international investigative team –among which are 30 Dutch investigators- has been trying for days to reach the site, but to no avail. The area is too dangerous and there are reports from the Ukrainian Government that pro-Russian rebels have placed mines on the roads leading there.

“If this is true it is just awful,” Bishop is quoted in Australian media in reaction to the reports. She insisted that the investigators remain determined to reach the area to recover the remaining bodies. “We have a team ready to go. We have experts that can do the job, but we cannot reach the site,” the Minister said.

Bishop also expressed concerns that Russia deliberately tries to block access to the crash site. So far 227 coffins with remains of victims have been flown to the Netherlands for identification. 298 people died when the plane crashed, among whom 195 Dutch nationals.