Malaysian victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 brought home to Malaysia

More than a month after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed into a field in eastern Ukraine, the Malaysian victims have been returned to Malaysia for burial services.

Reuters reports that all of Malaysia was in mourning as the first 20 bodies of 43 Malaysians who died in the July 17 crash arrived back in Malaysia. There was a total of 298 people on board when flight MH17 was hit by a rocket as it transited the airspace over eastern Ukraine. The majority of the victims hailed from the Netherlands.

It is believed pro-Russian separatists fired the missile that took down flight MH17, but an investigation into the tragedy is still ongoing.

Newspapers throughout Malaysia blacked out their covers in memoriam, and flags throughout the South East Asian nation flew at half-staff.

Large crowds at Kuala Lumpur International Airport greeted the bodies as they arrived on a flight from Amsterdam. The King of Malaysia Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Prime Minister Najib Razak were also on hand to pay their respects.

The bodies were taken off the plane individually by a group of eight men in traditional Malaysian attire, according to Reuters. The bodies were delivered to waiting hearses and helicopters so the victims could be transported to their families and hometowns for funeral services and burial.

The crash of MH17 came just months after the saga of the missing flight MH370 captivated the world's attention and imagination. MH370 disappeared seemingly without a trace as it left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. Despite an intense international search effort, no evidence of the plane or what happened to it has been found.

The back-to-back tragedies severely damaged Malaysia Airlines international reputation. The company is currently seeking new investors and leadership. It is also contemplating a name change.