All preparations for a day of national mourning for Malaysian victims of the MH17 tragedy on August 22 have been completed, said an officer of the Malaysian Ministry of Defence.

Lieutenant-Colonel Bakhtiar Nur Md Allias, who is in charge of the ministry’s public affairs, told an August 21 press briefing prior to a full rehearsal of the ceremony to receive the first 20 victims, including 11 passengers and nine crew members.

A total of 300 military personnel from 12 infantry brigades will be on duty, he said.

The remains will be flown home aboard the special Malaysia Airlines 747 flight, which is scheduled to land at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at around 10 a.m on August 22.

The Malaysian Government called on all people to observe a one-minute silence in respect for the victims when their remains are brought to the airport.

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