Grieving relatives of MH17 victims have confirmed looting at the site, with reports that the mobile phones of crash victims are being answered by strangers.

According to a report by the Netherlands’ De Telegraaf, Dutch relatives dialled the mobile phone numbers of loved ones and were shocked when they heard them answered by ‘eastern European-sounding voices’.

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According to a report by The Age, journalists at the scene said that there was a notable lack of mobile phones, wallets, jewellery and cameras at the scene.

There have been widespread reports of looting at the crash site, which is spread over more than 50 kilometres and is yet to be secured.

Telephone companies have agreed to cancel the phone subscriptions without the usual requirement for a death certificate so that people will no longer be able to use them.