A national mourning for Malaysian victims of the flight MH17 tragedy was organised on August 22, marking the first time the civilians have been commemorated in a national-level ceremony.

Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 777-200 crashed over eastern Ukraine on July 17, while en route from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people on board, including 43 Malaysians.

Attended by King Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah and Prime Minister Najib Razak, the ceremony took place at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where the remains of 20 out of the 43 ill-fated victims landed.

With a large screen installed at the Independence Square, Malaysians and foreigners there could also join participants at the airport to pay one-minute silence in respect to the victims, who will then be buried at their homeland cemeteries.

The embassies of Vietnam, the US, Japan, and others in the country flew flags at half-mast to commemorate MH17 victims.

Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that another commemoration service will also be held when the remains of others are flown home on August 24.

To date, 30 out of the 43 ill-fated Malaysians have been identified.-VNA