Donetsk under intense and deadly attack while MH17 rescue workers arrive in the city

International observers and air crash investigators are arriving in the Eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk to help with the Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash investigation.

At the same time intense fighting continues in this city between rebels and Ukrainian army. Fighting is concentrating now on the main train station of the city.

Intense fighting has broken out in the Ukrainian separatist stronghold city of Donetsk as international air crash investigators and observers arrive in the region to probe the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

Shortly after 10am local time, suburban areas in the city were being hit by indiscriminate mortar shelling, sending residents fleeing for their lives.

A rebel fighter told AFP that Ukrainian Government troops had attacked their positions close to the Donetsk railway station.

News Corp Australia saw at least four people killed in two separate mortar attacks including an elderly woman who had been walking through a courtyard park area.

Locals in Donetsk seek refuge in the basement of a school near the train station.

Also hit in the shelling was a school known as School 51 and several apartment blocks rained glass over a wide area after being directly hit or from the shock wave of the mortars landing nearby.

It had been reported for days that Ukrainian troops were gathering on the outskirts of the city; unconfirmed two that an aircraft carrying 200 Russian military personnel had landed in the area.
Donetsk city officials were running about the suburbs ordering people to take shelter.

Residents were being told to stay in basement until the all clear could be given. By midday with sporadic shooting continuing they remained in the basement.

Dutch air crash investigators were at the nearby city of Torez where 200 bodies of the victims of MH17 are being stored in four refrigerated train carriages. It was also reported this train was on it’s or possibly arrived in Donetsk.

Some other investigators had just arrived by train at Donetsk while the train station may be under fire.