Malaysia Airlines MH17 Crash: No evidence of tampering with voice recorder

The convoy of hearses with the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, drives past international flags as it leaves Eindhoven airport to a military base in Hilversum July 23, 2014. Two air
The convoy of hearses with the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, drives past international flags as it leaves Eindhoven airport to a military base in Hilversum July 23, 2014. Two aircraft carrying the remains of some of the 298 passengers who died on flight MH17 touched down at an airport in the Dutch city of Eindhoven on Wednesday, as next-of-kin and Dutch and foreign officials looked on. The remains of the victims of the downing of the flight over eastern Ukraine, 193 of whom were Dutch, will be brought over the next few days to a military base in Hilversum, the Netherlands. The Netherlands declared Wednesday the country's first day of mourning in more than half a century. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

AMSTERDAM (REUTERS) - The Dutch Safety Board, which is leading an international inquiry into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, said on Wednesday investigators had found no evidence that the jet's "black box" voice recorder had been tampered with.

The DSB also said it expected to get the information it needs from the crash site in eastern Ukraine, although much evidence had been damaged or lost.

Experts have been downloading data from the Boeing 777's voice and data recorders at Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch after pro-Russian rebels, who control the crash sites in eastern Ukraine, handed them over early on Tuesday.

"The Cockpit Voice Recorder was damaged but the part that contains the data was intact," the DSB said in a statement.

"Nor was there any evidence or indication that (it) had been manipulated." Rebels released the recorders more than four days after the disaster in which 298 people, two thirds of whom were Dutch citizens, died.

Ukraine has accused the rebels of tampering with the recorders, while the United States has said its suspects they shot down the jet with a Russian-made missile.

"Despite the fact that evidence and traces have been damaged or lost, the DSB expects it will be able to gather sufficient relevant information from the crash site," the DSB said.

It added that it would coordinate a team of 24 investigators from Ukraine, Malaysia, Germany, the United States, Britain and Russia, as well as the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

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