Malaysia Airlines to settle MH17 victim’s families $145,000 each

Malaysia Airlines has struck a deal to settle damages claims to most of the victims of the doomed MH17 flight, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine two years ago. 

Veeru Mewa, a lawyer representing Dutch victims, said under the Montreal Convention airlines must pay damages of up to about €130,000 ($145,000) to victims' families regardless of the circumstances of a crash. 

The Boeing 777, carrying mainly Dutch passengers, was shot down by pro-Russia separatists en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, killing all 298 on board.

The Malaysia Airlines passenger jet was hit by a surface-to-air missile on July 17, 2014 over eastern Ukraine, during heavy fighting between Kiev's armed forces and pro-Russian separatists.

Two thirds of the passengers were Dutch, but a group of 10 Britons died onboard including Newcastle fans Liam Sweeney, 28, and John Alder, who were travelling to New Zealand to watch their team take part in a pre-season friendly match.

An international inquiry concluded last October that the plane was downed by a Russian-made BUK missile fired from a zone held by pro-Russian separatists, but stopped short of saying who was responsible.

Initial findings of a Dutch-led criminal inquiry are expected to be presented later this summer.

It was the second anniversary of the tragedy on Sunday, and vigil's around the world allowed families and friends to pay homage to their loved ones.

Mariam Yusof, wife of the flight's pilot Captain Wan Amran Wan Hussin, visited Sepang outside Kuala Lumpur with her children for a private MH17 remembrance ceremony.

Around 60 people gathered at the crash site in the village of Petropavlivka, carrying flowers and lighting candles at the square where some of the victims' remains and belongings fell to the ground.

Some youngsters from the village - still controlled by pro-Russian separatists fighting pro-Western government forces - also carried paper planes in memory of children killed in the downing of the jet.

Village council head Natalia Voloshina, said: 'Some of the relatives of people who were killed phoned us and asked us to find things that were valuable for them, for example, the toys that belonged to children aboard.'

Some small pieces of wreckage, not yet handed over to Dutch investigators, were stacked outside Voloshina's office to mark the anniversary.