Pro-Russia rebels today claimed that they have recovered the black boxes of Malaysia airlines flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine near Russian border yesterday. Ukraine Foreign Ministry said that rescue workers have so far found 181 bodies scattered over a vast area in eastern Ukraine. It also said, the bodies will be taken for identification to a government-controlled city of Kharkiv, 270 kilometers north of the crash site.

The pro-Russia rebels have reportedly agreed to give international investigators access to the crash site and allow the recovery of bodies. The Boeing 777 – carrying 298 people – was on its way to Kuala Lampur from Amsterdam.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to his Netherlands counterpart Mark Rutte expressing his condolence over loss of lives in the Malaysian plane tragedy. Mr. Modi said that the people of India share the sorrow and stand in mourning with the bereaved families and the Dutch people. He also expressed hope that the circumstances of the disaster are established quickly and that such tragedies are prevented.