UTRECTH: THE Malaysian team hoping to secure the remaining evidence of flight MH17, including the all-important parts of the Malaysia Airlines jet scattered at the crash site in Grabovo, a village in Donetsk, will assess the security in the area before sending in its men.
This cautious approach comes amidst concerns that the ongoing fighting between Kiev and the pro-Russian rebels would spill over and spread to the 40 kilometre radius where parts of the wreckage and possibly more bodies lie.
The special investigation team from Malaysia’s head of delegation, Khairil Hilmi Mokhtar said under the current circumstances it would be too risky for investigators to enter ground zero to carry out investigations or retrieve critical evidence.
"It is a war zone and the safety of the men is paramount. If the situation persists, we may need to defer the deployment of the 68 policemen expected to arrive mid week,” he said. The team, he added, included a detachment of Malaysian commandos.
The policemen are expected to be deployed together with the international investigation team.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Kuala Lumpur had secured an agreement with Ukrainian separatists who are in control of the crash site, to allow a group of international police personnel to enter the area to provide protection for the international investigators.
Malaysia will work closely with the Netherlands and Australia in the international deployment.
Khairil Hilmi said once the area was more secure, policemen from the three nations would not only form a joint team in securing the area but would also be involved in securing evidence at the site.
“We are not discounting the possibility that there could be more bodies or body fragments at the crash site.
“The aircraft's fuselage, which is an important component and one of the investigation team's prime focus, have also not been secured at the site.
“Our operations will be carried out following daily assessment of the security situation. As soon as it is good to go, the team will go in and do the necessary to enable us to bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said, adding that it would be a greater challenge for the investigators if aircraft parts had been moved or stolen.
“The investigators will do their best to bring the wreckage out of the crash site, although it will not be easy.
“When this happens, the international investigations team will then decide how they want to transport the wreckage out.
“For now, the focus is on the investigators' access to the crash site,” he said.
Investigators are zeroing in on an area with a radius of 40km covering at least eight major areas where parts of the aircraft impacted the ground
Khairil Hilmi also said at the moment, various negotiations were being held so that an arrangement that could guarantee the investigators' safety could be secured.
ENDS/