272 bodies recovered from MH17 crash site

(Xinhua) Updated: 2014-07-21 19:13

People surround a refrigerator wagon as monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and members of a forensic team inspect the remains of victims from the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, at a railway station in the eastern Ukrainian town of Torez July 21, 2014. The head of a Dutch forensic team said on Monday a train, carrying the remains of victims from the Malaysian airliner crash, should set off later on Monday to a place where "we can do our work".[Photo/Agencies]

KIEV - Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said on Monday that rescuers have recovered 272 bodies from the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

"272 bodies have been found and 251 of them are in refrigerators in Torez train station," Yatsenyuk told reporters at a press conference here.

Special: Malaysia Airlines plane crashes in Ukraine

Ukraine stands ready to transfer the bodies of the victims to the Netherlands, Yatsenyuk said, adding that the government in Kiev "has no doubt" that the plane was hit by an anti-aircraft missile.

He suggested that the Netherlands lead investigation into the incident.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 with 298 people aboard crashed Thursday in eastern Ukraine, with no survivors found so far. Among the victims, there were 193 Dutch citizens.

The Ukrainian government and insurgents in eastern region have traded barbs, accusing each other of being responsible for the incident and hindering the investigation.