Local emergency services in eastern Ukraine have begun collecting parts of the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from its crash site in the middle of the conflict zone, Dutch air accident investigators said Sunday. Dutch inspectors had hoped to collect the parts themselves, following the downing of the flight on July 17 that killed 298 people, two thirds of them Dutch citizens. But they remain concerned about the safety of their staff in the rebel-held conflict zone, and so have decided to work with local services following an initial focus on finding human remains and belongings. The crash of flight MH17 stirred angry mutual accusations between Moscow and the West over who was responsible. “The crash area is large, so we do not intend to recover all the wreckage”, said Safety Board spokesman Wim van der Weegen. “We've got a specific number of items we would like to recover”. Around a dozen Dutch officials are on the site supervising the work of Ukrainian emergency services, including two Safety Board employees, van der Weegen said. Dutch authorities are leading both the air accident and criminal investigation into the downing of the Kuala Lumpur-bound Boeing 777 from Amsterdam.

A pro-Russian armed man secures crash site wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. Local emergency services have begun collecting parts of the wreckage from its crash site in the middle of the conflict zone, Dutch air accident investigators said on Sunday. Dutch inspectors had hoped to collect the parts themselves, following the downing of the flight on July 17 that killed 298 people, two thirds of them Dutch citizens. But they remain concerned about the safety of their staff in the rebel-held conflict zone, and so have decided to work with local services following an initial focus on finding human remains and belongings. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

A Dutch investigator works at the site where the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine November 16, 2014. (Photo by Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)

Local workers carry wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

Local workers carry wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

Local workers cut wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

A pro-Russian separatist watches as a crane carries wreckage of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 at the site of the plane crash near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine November 16, 2014. (Photo by Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)

Local workers transport wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine November 16, 2014. (Photo by Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)

A pro-Russian separatist stands guard next to a truck as a crane carries wreckage from the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 at the site of the plane crash near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine November 16, 2014. (Photo by Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)

Local workers carry wreckage from the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 at the site of the plane crash near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine November 16, 2014. (Photo by Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)

Dutch investigators and an Emergencies Ministry member work at the site where the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine November 16, 2014. (Photo by Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)

A pro-Russian separatist stands guard in front of debris at the site where the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine November 16, 2014. (Photo by Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)

Wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) is transported by a crane at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

Local workers carry wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

Soft toys are seen near the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

A pro-Russian armed man secures crash site wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

A truck transports wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

A truck transports wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) at the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

A truck transports wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (flight MH17) away from the site of the plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region November 16, 2014. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)