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BOEING 777 CRASH IN DONBASS

UN chief demands end to hostilities in Malaysian plane crash area in Ukraine

Ban Ki-moon said this was required by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1266 which was unanimously adopted on July 21

EPA/JUSTIN LANE

EPA/JUSTIN LANE

UNITED NATIONS, July 30, /ITAR-TASS/. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for stopping armed hostilities in the area of the Malaysian plane crash in eastern Ukraine and for giving international experts access to the site.

Ban said this was required by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1266 which was unanimously adopted on July 21.

“Guided by Security Council Resolution 2166, the Secretary-General calls on all parties to immediately halt hostilities in the proximity of the crash site so as to allow the international teams unimpeded access to the site,” Ban’s spokesperson said.

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The Secretary-General is “deeply disturbed” to learn that forensic teams and international investigators in Donetsk who are tasked to probe the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 “continue to be impeded from accessing the site and carrying out their critical work due to heavy fighting in the area of the crash site”.

Ban said that there were victims’ remains yet to be found and that key pieces of evidence remain at the site. “The families of the victims of this horrific tragedy deserve closure and the world demands answers - - international teams must be allowed to conduct their work,” he said.

The plane en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region 60 km from the Russian border on July 17 and as many as 298 people aboard died.

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