http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2014/07/dutch_death_toll_on_ukraine_cr.php
“Dutch death toll on Ukraine crash plane rises to 173, flags half mast
Friday 18 July 2014
The number of Dutch nationals killed in Thursday’s plane crash in Ukraine was revised up to 173 on Friday morning, as Malaysia Airlines published more details about those on board the doomed flight.
Public buildings in the Netherlands have their flags at half mast on Friday in the wake of the crash and hundreds of people have been leaving flowers outside the Dutch embassy in Kiev.
Many of those aboard the plane were on their way to an international Aids conference in Melbourne and are thought to include several renowned researchers.
Television programming has been adjusted and celebrations to mark the end of the four-day Nijmegen march have been toned down as a mark of respect, Dutch media report. The planned summer holiday photo session with the Dutch royal family has also been cancelled.
Missile
It is increasingly likely that the Malaysia Airlines plane which crashed close to Ukraine’s border with Russia was shot down by pro-Russian separatists, experts said on Friday.
US officials have told CNN radar has confirmed the Boeing 777 was hit by a surface-to-air missile. The United States is analysing the trajectory of the missile to try to learn where the attack came from, the official said.
Black box
News agency Reuters reports the second black box has been found at the crash site. The first is thought to have been handed over to Moscow on Thursday evening. One black box records plane details such as speed, the other cockpit conversations, Nos television said.
So far over 120 bodies have been recovered, the Ukraine rescue services have told Russian news agency Interfax.
Reuters also states Russian president Vladimir Putin has telephoned Dutch prime minster Mark Rutte promising him a full and independent inquiry. According to nu.nl, Putin also said the tragedy emphasised the need for a speedy end to the conflict.
Rescue workers
The plane was shot down over an area of Ukraine currently controlled by separatists who have given open access to rescue workers. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has described the apparent shooting down of the plan as ‘an act of terrorism’.
US president Obama has reportedly spoken to Poroshenko to discuss the tragedy and has told him US experts will help any way they can with the investigation.
The UN security council is expected to hold an emergency session later on Friday to discuss the latest events in Ukraine.
Journalist Noah Sneider tweeted from the scene on Thursday night: ‘At crash site of #MH17. Bodies everywhere, organs splayed out. Too gruesome to post photographs. This is an absolute disaster. #ukraine.’
Lucky escape
A family from Zeeland who were booked to fly on Malaysian Airlines MH17 had a lucky escape when they turned up to board the aircraft and found it had been over-booked.
Gert Jansen, his wife Pudji and son Pasha were given alternative seats on a KLM plane flying via Dubai, brother Bert told the Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant.
The Ukraine crash is the biggest air disaster to affect the Netherlands since the 1977 Tenerife air crash when 248 people aboard a KLM flight were killed in a collision with another plane.”
© DutchNews.nl
.dpuf
Tags: Obama, Rutte, UN, Vladimir Putin
July 18, 2014 at 10:33 am |
I thought of you.
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July 18, 2014 at 10:34 am |
That was quick.Thank you. How are you?
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July 18, 2014 at 10:36 am
Perfectly well, thanks, Gerard.
When I came back from myfortnight’s sabbatical, you were nowhere to be seen. I worried, because Iknew you’d travelled somewhere to a funeral.
Apart from this latest appalling international incident, is everything OK with you and your family ?
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July 18, 2014 at 1:02 pm
Yes, but we are doing OK.
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July 18, 2014 at 11:49 am |
Thank you for bringing the Dutch angle to our attention. What a tragedy. Could not do anything today but watch and read news reports about it. Still so much is unclear. The big countries will try to manipulate the news.
I don’t trust the Americans and hope an UN commission could investigate.
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July 18, 2014 at 12:10 pm |
Tragic. I am struggling to get my head around this. My sympathies with the lovely Dutch people.
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July 18, 2014 at 1:03 pm |
Thank you Andrew. So are the Welsh.
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July 18, 2014 at 2:44 pm |
My heartfelt sympathy to the Dutch families, and to all other families affected by this dreadful tragedy.
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July 18, 2014 at 6:10 pm |
Our thoughts are with the Dutch and others who died tragically on the plane. –Curt
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July 18, 2014 at 10:46 pm |
Our heartfelt sympathy to you and the Dutch people and all who were aboard the downed plane. This is indeed a tragedy.
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July 19, 2014 at 3:07 am |
This is a disgraceful event Gerard. I was at work and a carer told me about it as he had read the report on his phone. I feel sick to be honest.
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July 19, 2014 at 1:11 pm |
Idiotic and appalling. Hope the response isn’t so stupid, more lives could be lost. Time for levels heads, lest we lose ours.
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July 19, 2014 at 5:33 pm |
Sadly, since you wrote this, those at the scene seem to have reneged on all the promises of co-operation. If only this atrocity could at least bring the warring factions to their senses, it might help the relatives just a tiny bit.
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