KUALA LUMPUR: The first wreckage of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17 will arrive at a Dutch air force base at the Gilze-Rijen airbase in the south of Holland today.
The Dutch Safety Board (DSB), in a statement, on its website www.onderzoeksraad.nl said the convoy of trucks carrying pieces of wreckage from Ukraine is due to arrive at the Gilze-Rijen airbase around 2pm local time (9pm Malaysian Time), to be reconstructed as part of probe into the crash.
“The convoy left Ukraine last week and will pass the next-of-kin who attend the arrival of the wreckage at the air force base today.
“The arrival of the wreckage at the air force base will not be of a ceremonial character and those attending will not be permitted to be present during the opening or unloading of the trucks,” said the statement.
It said upon arrival at the air force base, the transport would be unloaded in accordance with a fixed protocol and all wreckage components would be photographed, scanned and categorised following a fixed procedure.
DSB said the investigation of the wreckage and preparation for the reconstruction would then take place in a designated hangar cleared especially for this purpose.
On July 17, MAS Flight MH17 was en-route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam when the aircraft, which was carrying 298 passengers and crew, was shot down over eastern Ukraine.
There were 193 Dutch nationals and 44 Malaysians on board, and all Malaysian victims have been identified.
– BERNAMA