Last Thursday, July 17, 2014, the Dutch were once again shocked by a disaster of large proportion. Since 1953, there has not been a disaster hitting the Dutch that killed this many people. 298 people died after flight MH17 crashed just a few hours after its departure from Schiphol Airport. Of these 298 casualties, 193 are Dutch. Immediately, the Dutch media started reporting. Updates came in continuously for days. The King Willem-Alexander and his wife Máxima wrote in the condoleanceregister (condolence registry) and expressed their medeleven (compassion) with the nabestaanden (relatives of the victims).

Minister-President Mark Rutte was also very shocked, and now his sorrow turns into anger. The independent, international investigation of the crash site was blocked by Ukrainian separatists. He complained that Putin did not do enough to fight them.

All over the Netherlands, people are shocked by the crash. Willem-Alexander expressed this in his speech today, which you can read below (with my English translation in parentheses):

“Vanmiddag kwam een grote groep nabestaanden bij elkaar van de slachtoffers van de vliegramp in het oosten van Oekraïne. Mijn vrouw en in waren daarbij. We zijn diep geraakt door de schrijnende persoonlijke verhalen van mensen die dierbaren hebben verloren. Mensen wier leven in scherven ligt. Hun verdriet, hun onmacht en hun wanhoop snijden ons door de ziel. (This afternoon a large group of relatives of the victims of the airplane disaster in the east of Ukraine convened. My wife and I were present there. We were deeply hit by the distressing personal stories of people that lost loved ones. People whose lives have fallen to pieces. Their grief, their impotence and their despair cut through our souls.)

Veel mensen zeiden ons: we willen tenminste waardig afscheid kunnen nemen van onze dierbaren. We begrijpen hun frustratie en hun gekwetstheid. En we delen hun innige wens dat er klaarheid komt over de oorzaak van deze ramp. We weten dat hun verlies niet meer goed te maken is. Het verdriet is immens. Het enige dat wij vandaag konden doen is bij hen zijn en luisteren naar hun verhaal. (Many people told us: at least we want to give our loved ones a dignified goodbye. We understand their frustration and hurting. And we share their fervent wish that clarity comes about the cause of this disaster. We know that their loss cannot be compensated anymore. The grief is immense. The only thing we could do today is being with them and listening to their story.)

De afgelopen dagen zijn overal in het land mensen bij elkaar gekomen. Ook in de komende tijd zal dat gebeuren. In bedrijven, op scholen, bij sportverenigingen en in huiskamers. Overal in Nederland. Mensen laten elkaar niet los. Dat is vooral van belang in deze dagen. Nu ons land op de proef wordt gesteld en zo veel landgenoten overweldigd zijn door verdriet. Dat we elkaar vasthouden, dat we elkaar steunen en opvangen waar mogelijk. En dat we ons hart openstellen voor iedereen die zijn of haar verhaal wil delen. Nu, maar ook in de maanden en jaren die volgen. (The past few days people came together throughout the country. This will also happen in the coming time. In businesses, at schools, at sport clubs, and in living rooms. Everywhere in the Netherlands. People do not let go of each other. That especially is of importance during these days. Now that our country is put to the test and so many countrymen are overwhelmed by grief. That we hold each other, that we support and pick each other up where possible. And that we open our heart to everybody that wants to share his or her story. Now, but also in the months and years to come.)

Ik wil graag mijn waardering uitspreken voor al die mensen die zich bekommeren om de getroffenen. Familie, vrienden, buren, collega’s, clubgenoten. U bent zo nodig nu. Ik wil ook mijn waardering uiten voor de honderden professionals die ondersteunen bij de vele droevige en moeilijke taken die moeten worden verricht. Mijn vrouw en ik leven mee met alle getroffenen die in rouw zijn gedompeld. In gedachten zijn we bij hen. (I would like to express my admiration to all people that take care of the affected. Family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, club members. You are needed so much now. I also want to express my admiration for the hundreds of professionals that give their support for the many sad and difficult tasks that need to be done. My wife and I feel compassion with all those affected that are drowned in sorrow. Our thoughts are with them.)

Dat geldt evenzeer voor mijn moeder en de overige leden van mijn familie, die zich in deze donkere dagen extra nauw met het land verbonden voelen. Deze vreselijke ramp heeft een diepe wond geslagen in onze samenleving. Het litteken zal zichtbaar en voelbaar blijven tot in lengte van jaren. In diepste nood komt het aan op innerlijke kracht, compassie en onderlinge verbondenheid. Het zijn die eigenschappen waar ons land op cruciale momenten over blijkt te beschikken.” (This also counts for my mother and the other members of my family, who feel connected to the country even closer in these dark days. This terrible disaster has cut a deep wound in our society. The scar will stay visible and palpable for years. In needy times inner strength, compassion and connection between each other are crucial. These are the attributes our country appears to possess.)

What will happen next? Allegations have been made that the plane was shot down by the Ukrainian separatists. Hopefully, especially for all those that are left behind, the black boxes will reveal the truth.