Malaysia declares national day of mourning for MH17 crash victims

World August 20, 2014, 16:49

Only 28 Malaysian nationals among 48 country's citizens onboard the ill-fated plane have been identified so far

SINGAPORE, August 20. /ITAR-TASS/. Malaysia's government has declared a national day of mourning on Friday, August 22, when the first 20 identified bodies from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, downed over Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, will be airlifted from The Netherlands.

Another plane is expected to arrive in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, on August 24 with eight more bodies identified by international experts, Defense Minister Hushammuddin Tun Hussein said on Wednesday. Only 28 Malaysian nationals among 48 country's citizens onboard the ill-fated plane have been identified so far.

A minute's silence in memory of the crash victims will be observed on Friday at 10.45am local time (06.45am Moscow time) in Malaysia.

All 298 people aboard were killed on the Boeing 777, flying from the Dutch city of Amsterdam and destined for Kuala Lumpur on July 17. A missile is suspected to have downed the airliner.

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