(VOVworld) – Malaysia on Thursday declared August 22 as a National Day of Mourning for its citizens killed in the crash of flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine last month.

Malaysia declares national day of mourning for MH17 victims

According to Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, the first 16 bodies from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 are set to arrive in Kuala Lumpur from the Netherlands on August 22. A solemn ceremony commemorating the victims will be held at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the same day, attended by the King, the Prime Minister, other senior government officials, and the victims’ families. Malaysian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200 plane was shot down in eastern Ukraine while traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 crew members and passengers on board, including 43 Malaysians, were killed in the accident.