SHAH ALAM, 29 Aug: Nine more remains of the victims of the MH17 tragedy, including the remains of two foreigners, are expected to arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on September 2.
The Defence Forces Panglima, General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, said that there will also be a ceremonial tribute for the remains.
“So far, nine bodies are likely to arrive on September 2 and this is subject to a number of factors. There are certain factors that will cause this figure to change.
“We believe that on September 1, we can be sure on how many (bodies will arrive),” he said during a press conference after chairing the coordination committee meeting for the tribute ceremony at the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Building in Putrajaya yesterday.
He said that preparations are being made to receive the nine victims of the tragedy, including five remains in coffins and four as ashes in urns from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, before the funeral and burial.
He said that one of the nine remains is a child.
Zulkefeli said that the two foreigners are the husbands of Malaysian citizens of the MH17 tragedy after receiving approval from their home country to be buried in Malaysia with their wives.
He said that at the tribute ceremony, the two foreign nationals, including one in an urn, will be covered with the flag of their country of origin.
Zulkifeli said that three aircraft, two EC725s and a Charlie 130 will be mobilised to take the four remains to Teluk Intan, Perak; Bukit Mertajam and the Penang International Airport, while four others will be taken in a hearse to areas in the Klang Valley and one to Seremban.
He said that the meeting was for the tribute of the remains which will be chaired by the Minister of Defence, Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein, as well as other relevant ministers, and will take place at the Bunga Raya Complex on September 1.
As of now, 24 remains of Malaysians in the tragedy have been brought home. The identities of two have not been disclosed at the request of their families.
The first group of 20 remains were brought back from Amsterdam in a special aircraft on August 22, followed by one the next day and three more on August 24.
The Boeing 777-200 aircraft belonging to Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) which was carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew members was believed to have been shot down during the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in the territory of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on July 17.
NS
