16 more Malaysians in MH17 crash identified

Mourners attend a national memorial service for the victims of Flight MH17 at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014. AP

MANILA, Philippines―Sixteen more Malaysians who perished in the MH17 plane crash have been identified, the Malaysian government said Tuesday.

Minister of Transport Liow Tiong Lai said the Malaysian government was contacting the next-of-kin of the victims so they can receive the remains when they arrive in Malaysia.

Liow said that full honors will be given to the victims once they arrive from The Netherlands.

The minister also said that the Malaysian government wants the media to respect the privacy of the victims’ families and that it will release information regarding the identities of the victims in due time.

He also called the people of Malaysia to “stand together to help in the healing process during this grieving period, particularly for those who have lost their loved ones.”

Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was shot down while flying over rebel-held territory in Ukraine on July 17, killing all 298 people on board.

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