Aerial images lay bare MH17 disaster

The first aerial pictures of the MH17 crash have emerged, revealing the scale of the disaster that claimed 298 lives.

The satellite stills were taken on Sunday over the towns of Hrabove and Rasypnoye in the Ukraine, CNN reports, and show the scorched earth at the point of impact.

The pictures were taken by Airbus Defense & Space and analyzed by AllSource Analysis.

They have emerged as the train carrying the bodies of those killed in the downed Malaysia Airlines flight left the railway station in the rebel-held town of Torez, after four days in situ.

Ukrainian officials said the refrigerated wagons carrying some 280 corpses will head to the government-controlled city of Kharkiv where international experts are waiting.

The United Nations Security Council votes this morning on a resolution drafted by Australia demanding full access to the crash site for international investigators and for the bodies of victims to be handled with respect and dignity.