It has been four days since MH17 was downed in east Ukraine. Yesterday, Breitbart News reported twice that no one knew where the dead bodies were transported. According to journalists at the scene, the bodies are at Torez train station in refrigerated cars.
Some #MH17 bodies are being held in refrigerator cars at the Torez train station. Unclear how many. Stench awful. Can’t go in without gear.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 20, 2014
Train wagons where the #MH17 bodies are being held. OSCE investigating. Heavy duty Berkut guarding. pic.twitter.com/D9ViwWK1d0
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 20, 2014
OSCE say they don’t know how many #MH17 bodies are in the Torez trains. Stench truly disgusting. pic.twitter.com/JYJMBvk2Lt
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 20, 2014
The bodies were out in the open for almost three days in the heat. Journalists reported the majority of them were decomposing by Friday.
Ukraine’s emergency ministry told @AP that 196 bodies were removed from the #MH17 site yesterday. DNR said they are on their way to Torez.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 20, 2014
Berkut guarding #MH17 bodies are most serious guys I’ve seen anywhere out east. Total opposite of crash site chaos. pic.twitter.com/mlzfgznysT
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 20, 2014
The guards all vanished after the OSCE monitors left. Literally nobody is guarding the #MH17 bodies. Astonishing. pic.twitter.com/V1KWJ6nro3
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 20, 2014
The train station where the #MH17 bodies are. Some locals waiting for a bus. Nobody else here. pic.twitter.com/jOYwcc2V9Y
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 20, 2014
Train filled with unknown number of bodies from flight #MH17 still idling in #Torez. Destination unknown. pic.twitter.com/1aR2Ztbp4Y
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 20, 2014
The temporary morgue. We see five refrigerated railway trucks at Torez station. Told close to 200 bodies on board. pic.twitter.com/zEVwbTl0HK
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) July 20, 2014
Kevin Bishop from the BBC is also there and issued a few warnings for fellow journalists.
Donetsk journalists – be careful reporting at morgue. We were detained for 3 hours at SBU building today after driving up there.
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) July 20, 2014
Militia were mostly polite with us but threatened us at the start when at the morgue. We all ok – held with Swedish and Russian colleagues
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) July 20, 2014
Very polite young man who let us leave said in perfect English: This isn’t New York or London. This is Donetsk. This is war.
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) July 20, 2014
Big thanks to colleagues from Russia Today who were detained with us. They showed journalistic solidarity that is always a comfort
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) July 20, 2014
Train at Torez station – bodies of #MH17 victims recovered so far believed to be inside these refrigerated wagons. pic.twitter.com/gZoiPFnwd6
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) July 20, 2014
Torez station – #MH17 pic.twitter.com/Ny3HOvMcjC
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) July 20, 2014
Sergei Kavtaradze, a member of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said the bodies will stay in the temporary morgue until the experts arrive. Kiev said the rebels were not allowing any experts or monitors at the scene, but the pro-Russians insist they are not the problem. Journalists at the scene yesterday contradicted the pro-Russians.
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