MH17: A grandfather and his grandson's backpack

An eighty-year-old man, who was spotted holding a blue backpack with a Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight number tag, has revealed the sentimental value of the backpack.

Anton Kotte disclosed that his six-year-old grandson took the backpack with the name “Remco” on it for a holiday when he was travelling with his parents on the MH17 flight, on July 17, 2014.

“Half a year after the plane crash, the authority called and asked me if I wanted to take it (backpack) home. I said yes.

“They brought it to my home and showed me this bag. It is my youngest grandchild’s bag.

“His belongings such as toy cars, pencils and books were inside. There were no scratches on his bag. It was not burned or damaged in the crash. It’s a miracle," he said adding that the backpack is the most important memory of his youngest grandchild.

10 years on

Ten years ago, Kotte lost his son Oscar, daughter-in-law Miranda and grandson Remco in the MH17 tragedy.

“I’m now 80 years old and I am still alive today, but the life of my son had been taken away violently. That's not a good feeling. They were innocent,” he said emotionally after a commemoration ceremony.

Earlier, more than 1,500 relatives and friends from around the world gathered at the 10th commemoration held in the National Monument MH17 at Vijfhuizen Park, near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport to pay tribute to the victims.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands was also present.

To witness the historic events, five Malaysian media representatives including Bernama were invited to participate in the three-day remembrance programme, starting on July 15.

The programme includes a series of events and site visits designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the ongoing efforts and cooperation between the Netherlands and Malaysia in the aftermath of the MH17 disaster.

The Boeing 777 was shot down over eastern Ukraine after taking off from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members onboard on July 17, 2014.

On Nov 17, 2022, the Hague District Court in absentia sentenced two former Russian intelligence agents, Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinskiy, along with a Ukrainian separatist leader, Leonid Kharchenko, to life in prison after finding them guilty on charges of causing the crash of MH17 and the murders of all 298 people on board.

Another Russian, Oleg Pulatov, was acquitted of the same charges.

- Bernama

EU tells Russia to own up to MH17 downing on 10th anniversary

MH17: Sorrow, trauma still envelop victims' families a decade on

A decade after MH17, 298 dead: Lest we forget!

MH17 tragedy: M'sia reiterates commitment to pursue truth, justice