CRASS

Rebels Said to Have Seized MH17 Remains

Put them in refrigerated train cars.

Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine have reportedly taken control of the remains of nearly 200 passengers from the Malaysian Airlines jetliner that was shot down Thursday. Ukrainian responders recovered 196 bodies, but were forced them to turn them over to separatist control. The rebels are maintaining an iron-grip over access to the crash site. Michael Bociurkiw of the outside observer mission Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (O.S.C.E.) said rebels told him most of the bodies were in three refrigerated railroad cars in the town of Torez. The separatists' tight control over the remains adds to growing U.S. and European fears that the rebels will tamper with crash-scene evidence and hamper the investigation into the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, “Swift recovery of the victims’ remains is now an absolute necessity and our highest priority. I am shocked by the images of completely disrespectful behavior at this tragic place. This is appalling.”