Families mark 10 years of pain since MH17 flight disaster
Hans de Borst’s hands were shaking as he flipped through the memorial service programme.
His 17-year-old daughter, Elsemiek, was on board flight MH17, 10 years ago to the day.
Hans was the first family member to arrive in the small amphitheatre at the heart of the MH17 national monument.
“How am I feeling?” Hans repeated my question. “A bit nervous.”
He gestured to the rows of benches where 1,300 relatives and dignitaries from around the world, including Dutch King, Willem-Alexander, would soon be seated.
Two hundred and ninety eight people died on July 17, 2014, when the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was hit by a Russian surface-to-air Buk missile, fired from an area of eastern Ukraine seized by Russian proxy forces.
Former Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, was among the guests filing past fields of sunflowers on his way to the heart of the monument.
Mr Rutte, who is Nato’s next secretary general, was asked by the BBC if he and his government had done enough to get justice for the victims.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know.” —BBC
