AJALI YA NDEGE YA MALAYSIA: MAITI 196 ZAPATIKANA

ontinue reading the main story

Local residents have been allowed to wander around the wreckage of the plane

Emergency workers in Ukraine say they have now found 196 bodies at the crash site of the Malaysian airliner MH17.

Most of these bodies have been put in refrigerated rail wagons in the nearby rebel-held town of Torez, but it is unclear who has access to them.

A total of 298 people were on MH17 when it was reportedly hit by a missile on Thursday. All are thought to have died.

Western countries have criticised the pro-Russian rebels in the area for restricting access to the crash site.

The BBC's Fergal Keane, at the site, says the indiscipline and chaos of the last two days has been replaced by the robust presence of former riot policemen who now form a cordon around the central area of the aircraft wreckage.

Ukraine's government and the rebels have accused each other of shooting down the Boeing 777, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The US state department said there had been multiple reports of bodies and aircraft parts being removed, and potential evidence tampered with.

Ukraine's Security Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the pro-Russian rebels were "not telling" where they were taking them.

"This is a big problem," he said, adding that the rebels "are doing all they can to hide evidence that a Russian missile was involved."

Memorials

The passenger list released by Malaysia Airlines shows the plane was carrying 193 Dutch nationals (including one with dual US nationality), 43 Malaysians (including 15 crew), 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians and 10 Britons (including one with dual South African nationality), four Germans, four Belgians, three from the Philippines, and one each from Canada and New Zealand.

Memorial services have been held in Australia, with more planned in other countries later on Sunday.

Memorial services are being held for the Australian victims of the crash

Mourners in Melbourne remembered locals who died, and those travelling to the city for an Aids conference

In Malaysia, a monk performs a prayer during a special vigil

Bishop Peter Comensoli, who led the mass at Sydney's St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, said the downing of MH17 was not "an innocent accident" but "the outcome of a trail of human evil".

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was at the service, told ABC TV: "You look at the faces of the dead and they're your neighbours, they're your friends, they could be your kids because let's face it, we are a people who like to travel."

In Melbourne, a special mass was held for the HIV experts and campaigners on the flight who had been making their way to the city for an international Aids conference.

In a mark of respect to the dead, Malaysia Airline says it is retiring the MH17 flight number. The airline did the same for MH370, which disappeared in March with 239 passengers and crew on board.

Most of the recovered bodies are thought to have been put in refrigerated rail wagons

Scores of bodies have now been removed from the crash site

The UN Security Council has called for a full and independent international investigation into the crash

Pressure on Russia

Russia denies any involvement in the downing of the Malaysian plane, and has rejected Western allegations that it is stoking the Ukraine conflict.

But there is growing international criticism of Moscow, with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond accusing the Russians of "obfuscation and obstruction".

Ahead of an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Tuesday, Mr Hammond told the BBC: "We will... seek to get our European partners to agree to go further in terms of sanctions if Russia hasn't radically changed it's position by then."

Meanwhile, fighting is continuing in eastern Ukraine, with Reuters news agency reporting that Ukrainian positions were fired on twice from across border with Russia.

SOURCE: BBC