Helenmoonstone_myblog: A tribute to MH 17 Air crash

2014年7月20日星期日

A tribute to MH 17 Air crash

Student Ben Pocock from Bristol was also named today as one of the victims. Mr Pocock, who was in his early 20s, had just finished studying at Loughborough University and was headed to Australia for a year's placement abroad.

The university paid tribute to Mr Pocock, today, saying he was destined to achieve a first-class degree.

'We are incredibly saddened to hear that one of our students, Ben Pocock, was believed to be a passenger on flight MH17,' a spokesman said.

British experts from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are due to fly out to Ukraine later today to help with the disaster probe.

A Europol expert is also flying to join the forensics team to identify the bodies.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) arrived at the scene immediately after the crash on Thursday, where they are still working to recover bodies and personal effects.

Of the 298 dead, 193 were Dutch, 43 Malaysian - including 15 crew and two infants - 27 Australian, 12 Indonesian including one infant, 10 Britons, four Germans, four Belgian, three Filipino, one Canadian, and one from New Zealand.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has paid tribute to the victims, adding: 'I pray for the families'.

Downing Street said six investigators from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch would join the growing international probe into exactly how the plane came to crash, killing 298 people, including 10 Britons and 80 children.

The Foreign Office has also sent extra consular staff to Ukraine and the Metropolitan Police is liaising with international partners to send specialist officers to the country to assist with the recovery, identification and repatriation of those killed.

Cabin crew at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam took time out today to lay their own floral tributes to their colleagues killed on Thursday afternoon

Others signed a book of condolence on a register which has been placed at the entrance of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam earlier today

The Malaysia Airlines flight, a Boeing 777, was brought down over eastern Ukraine on Thursday as it flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, with the loss of everyone on board.

Today Ukraine's government accused pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine of trying to destroy evidence at the site where a Malaysian airliner crashed and of removing 38 bodies from the scene.

'The government of Ukraine officially states that the terrorists, with the help of Russia, are trying to destroy evidence of international crimes,' the government said in a statement on Saturday.

'According to government data, the terrorists have taken 38 bodies to the morgue in (the eastern city of) Donetsk,' it said, accusing specialists with 'strong Russian accents' of threatening to carry out their own autopsies.

Amid growing evidence that the flight was hit by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile, launched from areas controlled by pro-Russian rebels in the separatist eastern regions of Ukraine, fingers have increasingly been pointed at Russian president Vladimir Putin, who denies involvement.

Russian authorities were put under increasing pressure after U.S. President Barack Obama, international delegates to the U.N. and an outraged Australian prime minister all spoke out against Putin’s regime.

Mr Obama said U.S. intelligence confirmed that a surface-to-air missile was responsible, and described the attack as an 'outrage of unspeakable proportions.'

He also said the insurgents would not be capable of carrying out such an attack without Putin’s support.

He said: ‘We know that they are heavily armed and they are trained, and we know that that's not an accident. That is happening because of Russian support.’

A spokesman for The University of Melbourne released a statement saying they were 'saddened' to hear reports about one of their students.

'Ms Teoh graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2008,' the spokesman said. 'Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.'

Other victims from around the world were also name today, including four members of the Malaysia Airlines cabin crew and the pilot. Authorities confirmed that almost two thirds of those on board were Dutch, including a member of the country's Senate, Professor Willem Witteveen.

Also named was Hong Kong native Fan Shun-po, a chef at an Asian restaurant in Rotterdam. He is thought been on board with his Malaysian wife Jenny Loh, who owns the restaurant.

Denis Napthine, a political leader in Victoria, Australia, confirmed MH17 was to connect with MH129 arriving in Melbourne this evening.

'It is with deep regret that I can now confirm nine Australian nationals from Victoria are among those who have been killed in the MH17 tragedy,' he said.

'This is a sad and tragic day, not just for Victorians, but for all people and all nations. The shooting down of a passenger aircraft full of innocent civilians is an unspeakable act that will forever leave a dark stain on our history.'