251 victims of MH17 Ukraine crash identified

Forensic experts have identified 251 of the 298 passengers and crew killed on downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, after 26 people were named this week. The findings of an initial report by a Dutch-led team of air crash investigators appear to back up claims that the plane was hit by an anti-aircraft missile. Last month forensics experts suspended their search for bodies due to clashes between Kiev and the pro-Russian rebels near the crash site northeast of Donetsk. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said last week it was still “too dangerous” for investigators to visit the site, and that the Dutch investigators left in Ukraine would return to the Netherlands.

Among the 26 victims, 19 were Dutch and seven were of other nationalities.

The Dutch justice ministry in a statementy