“Forensic experts” and “other representatives” of countries whose citizens died in the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were on hand as a train carrying the bodies of “nearly all” of the victims arrived into the control of the Ukrainian government, the New York Times reports from the city of Kharkiv:
Pushed by a diesel locomotive, five gray refrigerated wagons and a red passenger car crawled into the grounds of a decrepit Soviet-era tank factory shortly after noon, completing the first and most difficult stage of a long journey home for victims of the crash.
Ukrainian workers had to clear the track of mud and weeds to allow the train to pass along a long-disused stretch of rail leading to the Malyshev Factory, built to manufacture the Soviet T-34 tank and other military equipment.
There are believed to be at least 282 bodies on the train; most outlets are reporting that 298 individuals died in the crash. The remains are expected to be flown to the Netherlands.
Read more of Slate’s coverage on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
