'MH17 probe should be completed before winter sets in'

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai Monday said the investigators of the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 should complete the probe before winter sets in.

Liow said winter would arrive at the end of next month in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region where the aircraft was shot at and crashed July 17, killing all 298 people on-board, The Malaysian Star reported.

"The probe team must be able to gain access to the site before all evidence is covered by snow," Liow added.

He said the investigating team was currently stranded due to the continuous fighting between the Ukraine government and the pro-Russian separatists in and around the crash site.

"We are working hard and making efforts to persuade both parties to follow the ceasefire treaty," Liow said.

Liow also called on the UN, to uphold a resolution adopted by its Security Council two months ago, to demand that the armed groups allow unfettered access to the crash site and ensure that its integrity was maintained.