More remains recovered from MH17 crash site

A girl holding a candle squats next to candles forming the letters MH17 during an event to mourn the victims of the crashed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, July 20, 2014. AP

THE HAGUE—International experts have recovered more human remains from the flight MH17 crash site in war-torn Ukraine after resuming work on Friday, the Dutch government said.

“The 70 Dutch and Australian experts have finished their work at the MH17 crash site for today,” the justice ministry said in a statement.

“All human remains that were found will be taken with them,” it said.

Efforts to recover remaining bodies from the crash site have been hampered by fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists.

Over 200 coffins have been sent back to the Netherlands, which lost 193 citizens in the July 17 crash, but many of the total 298 dead have yet to be recovered amid the fighting.

“We are happy that we can make sure that these remains can now be sent to the Netherlands,” said Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, the Dutch police official sent to Ukraine to head up the mission there.

“We hope that this can bring comfort to the bereaved. It is a relief that our people are now at work.”

The body recovery mission will set up a new base in Soledar, northwest of the crash site, the statement said.

The city of Kharkiv will remain the logistical base.