22 August 2014

THE FIRST 20 MALAYSIAN MH17 VICTIMS COME HOME - LIVE UPDATES

Plane lands in KLIA with remains of 20 Malaysian MH17 victims

The Malaysian Insider – 1 hour 28 minutes ago

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LIVE UPDATES A Malaysia Airlines plane carrying the remains of 20 Malaysian victims of the flight MH17 disaster has landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 10.00am today. It is a day of national mourning across the country with flags hoisted at half-mast. A minute's silence will be observed nationwide to honour the dead. Some 300 military personnel will also be part of the ceremonies today, which will also be telecast live from Kuala Lumpur International Airport's Bunga Raya Complex.

Malaysia Airlines flight attendants hold white flowers before the arrival of the Malaysian remains who perished aboard flight MH17 that was downed in eastern Ukraine outside Bunga Raya complex in Sepang today. – AFP pic, August 22, 2014.

This is the second MAS-B777 incident this year, the first being the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370 on March 8 en-route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It has yet to be found despite the largest search operation in aviation history.

We bring you the latest updates here.

9.00am: Next-of-kin enter KLIA Bunga Raya Complex. Many were donned in black and white atiires.
9.10: Bernama reports that 20 stewardesses in MAS uniforms, wearing black headscarves, are among guests at the Bunga Raya complex.
9.15: Arrival of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat MPs.
9.32: DPM Muhyiddin Yassin and wife arrive at KLIA Bunga Raya Complex.
9.37: PM Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor arrive at KLIA Bunga Raya Complex.
9.45: Plane expected to land at 10.00am
9.45: Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Raja Permaisuri Agong arrive at KLIA Bunga Raya Complex.
10.00: Plane carrying remains of MH17 victims lands at KLIA.
10.15: 20 white hearses enter the tarmac.
10.16: First group of military personnel approaches coffins.
10.20: Pall-bearers take position to bring the first two coffins with MH17 victims out of the plane.
10.22: The first coffin of MH17 victim, Mastura Mustafa – a MAS cabin crew – is brought out of the plane by six pall-bearers.
10.22: The second coffin with the remains of MH17 co-pilot and first officer Ahmad Hakimi Hanapi is brought out of the plane.
10.27: The third and fourth coffins bearing the remains MAS cabin crew Hamfazlin Sham Mohamed Arifin and Nur Shazana Mohamed Salleh are brought out of the plane.
10.30: The fifth coffin bearing the remains of chief stewardess Dora Shahila Kassim (pic, right) is brought out of the plane.
10.32: The sixth coffin bearing the remains of MH17 passenger Foo Ming Lee is brought out of the plane.
10.33: The seventh coffin bearing the remains of passenger Karamjit Singh Kernail Singh is brought out of the plane.
10.35: The eighth coffin bearing the remains of passenger Ng Qing Zheng is carried out of the plane.
10.36: The ninth and tenth coffins being brought out of the plane are the remains of husband and wife Mabel Anthony Samy and Paul Rajasingam/Sivagnanam, who were passengers on MH17. The body of their son, nine-year-old Matthew, has yet to be identified.
10.41: The urns with the cremated remains of MH17 passenger Elisabeth Ng Lyeti, and two cabin crew – Lee Hui Pin and Angeline Premila Rajandaran – are carried to the hearses.
10.45: The next two coffins being brought out are MH17 passenger Ariza Ghazalee and that of her eldest son Muhammad Afif Tambi. The bodies of Ariza's husband and three other children have yet to be identified.
10.46: The coffins with the remains of Noor Rahimmah Mohd Nor (MH17 passenger) and Chong Yee Pheng (MAS cabin crew) are brought out.
10.48: The 18th coffin of Azrina Yakob, a MAS cabin crew, is carried out.
10.50: The last two coffins bearing the remains of MH17 passengers Mohd Ali Md Salim and Hasni Hardi Parlan are carried to the hearses.
10.52: A minute of silence will be observed nationwide as soon as the last coffin is placed into the hearse.
10.55: A nationwide moment of silence to remember the victims of MH17 has been announced.
10.56: The 20 white hearses carrying the remains of MH17 victims leave the tarmac. Those present have been asked to stand as a mark of respect as the hearses leave the tarmac.
11.05: The remains of mother and son Ariza Ghazalee and Muhammad Afif Tambi are placed in a Hercules C-130 aircraft to be flown to their hometown of Petra Jaya, Kuching.