Country plans Ebola lockdown

• NEW: Sierra Leone is giving itself time to train volunteers and get needed equipment


• Lockdown plan calls for residents to be confined to their homes for three days


• Volunteers will go door-to-door to talk to people, official says


• Medical charity warns the lockdown will drive people "underground"

Freetown, Sierra Leone (CNN) -- Sierra Leone plans a three-day nationwide lockdown in an effort to halt an Ebola outbreak that has killed hundreds, a move that a leading medical charity said Saturday will not help.

People will not be allowed to leave their homes for three days under the plan, set to start September 19. The lockdown is being billed as a predominantly social campaign rather than a medical one, in which volunteers will go door-to-door to talk to people.

"We believe this the best way for now to identify those who are sick and remove them from those who are well," said Alhaji Alpha Kanu, Sierra Leone's minister of information and communication.

But Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said such a lockdown is unlikely to stop the spread of the disease.

"Large scale coercive measures like forced quarantines and lockdowns are driving people underground and jeopardizing the trust between people and health providers. This is leading to the concealment of cases and is pushing the sick away from health systems," the charity group said in a statement.

"This is leading to the concealment of potential cases and is pushing the sick away from health systems."

It's not the first time a quarantine or lockdown has been tried. In August, the Liberian government locked down one of the poorest neighborhoods in the capital of Monrovia in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. The move resulted in riots.

New Ebola vaccine being tested

21,000 volunteers to go door-to-door

Sierra Leone set the lockdown date for September 19-21 to give the country time to train volunteers and get needed equipment, such as ambulances, Kanu said.

During the lockdown, 21,000 volunteers will fan out across the nation to talk with people about how to protect themselves from the disease, as well as identify Ebola cases, Kanu said.

What you need to know about Ebola

It was unclear how many of these volunteers would be health workers. The information minister described the volunteers as young people from the very communities where they will be working.

"Resistance will be less. They will be talking to people they know," Kanu said.

He did not say what punishment, if any, people would face for violating the lockdown.

Ebola typically kills 90% of those infected with the virus, but the death rate in this outbreak has dropped because of early treatment.

Another American doctor infected

Even so, MSF questioned such a plan.

"It will be extremely difficult for health workers to accurately identify cases through door-to-door screenings as this requires a certain level of expertise," the group said. "And when cases are identified, there will not be enough Ebola management centers to care for them."

Number of cases on the rise

Also, there is a question of what a three-day lockdown will do to slow the spread of the virus, given that the Ebola incubation period can range between two and 21 days.

The virus is spread through contact with bodily fluids, and early symptoms include sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, headaches and a sore throat.

More than 3,600 people have been diagnosed with Ebola since the first documented case in December, the World Health Organization has said. Of those cases, there have been 1,800 fatalities, the agency has said.

More than 40% of the cases have been diagnosed in the past three weeks, the agency said.

The outbreak has been centered in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, with a handful of cases in Nigeria. The overall fatality rate is 50%, WHO said, ranging from 39% in Sierra Leone to 64% in Guinea, according to the latest figures.

WHO says it believed that fruit bats may be the natural host of the Ebola virus in Africa, passing on the virus to other animals. Humans contract Ebola through contact with the bodily fluids of infected animals or the bodily fluids of infected humans.

The virus is named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), where one of the first outbreaks occurred in 1976. The same year there was another outbreak in Sudan.

While there is no known cure or vaccine available, the first human trial of an experimental Ebola vaccine began this last week.

Journalist Umaru Fofana reported from Freetown, and Chelsea J. Carter reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Claudia Dominguez contributed to this report.

Ceasefire crumbling in Ukraine?

• Sporadic heavy artillery barrages and machine gun fire heard near Mariupol


• Poroshenko and Putin talk about ensuring truce lasts, Poroshenko's office says


• Russia will respond if new EU sanctions are imposed, state media reports


• EU nations agree on further sanctions against Russia, due to be adopted Monday

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Sporadic heavy artillery barrages and machine gun fire could be heard early Sunday on the outskirts of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, raising questions about the viability of a ceasefire between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists.

While the source of the weapons fire was not immediately clear, it came as the ceasefire appeared to be holding, a rare positive sign in a conflict that has ratcheted up tensions between Russia and the West.

By late Saturday, however, bursts of heavy artillery and machine gun fire replaced the evident calm, a gas station was ablaze and cars carrying injured civilians could be seen on the roads.

The warring factions blamed each other for violating the truce.

The Russian news agency Itar-Tass late Saturday quoted rebel officials saying that Ukrainian forces continued to shell Donetsk and rebel positions near Mariupol. The RIA Novosti new agency reported that four Donetsk residents were killed in the shelling.

Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Col. Andriy Lysenko told reporters in Kiev on Saturday that the situation was calmer than before but that there had been a number of "provocations" by rebels.

These include 10 instances of shelling in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, he said.

But Lysenko said a prisoner exchange would begin soon without specifying a time and date.

Amnesty International, meanwhile, accused Ukrainian militia and separatists of carrying out war crimes. It singled out Russia for a buildup of armor and artillery in eastern Ukraine.

"All sides in this conflict have shown disregard for civilian lives and are blatantly violating their international obligations," said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's secretary general, who will travel to Kiev and Moscow in the coming days.

"Our evidence shows that Russia is fueling the conflict, both through direct interference and by supporting the separatists in the East," Shetty added. "Russia must stop the steady flow of weapons and other support to an insurgent force heavily implicated in gross human rights violations."

Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels have battled in eastern Ukraine since April, leaving more than 2,200 people dead, according to the United Nations.

A truce deal signed Friday after talks in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, went into effect that evening.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the signing of the deal in the Belarusian city of Minsk, Poroshenko's office said Saturday in a statement.

The leaders agreed that the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been mostly upheld and they discussed further steps to make the truce last, the office said.

Ceasefire deal reported in Ukraine

Fighting in Ukraine before ceasefire

Truce between Ukraine and rebels?

After roughly five months of bitter fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebel groups, the question is whether the ceasefire will last.

Artillery fire and explosions were heard in the flashpoint city of Donetsk around the time the ceasefire went into effect, the city's website said. But there have been no subsequent reports of major incidents.

A CNN team in southeastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces and the rebels have engaged in fierce fighting this week between the Ukrainian border town of Novoazovsk and Mariupol, said that artillery fire appeared to have stopped after the start of the truce.

Despite the ceasefire deal, Putin remains under international pressure over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Hours after the guns stopped firing, EU leaders meeting in Brussels, Belgium, agreed on a new round of economic sanctions against Russian interests. They are due to be formally adopted on Monday.

Russia's Foreign Ministry warned Saturday that if new EU sanctions are imposed, Russia "certainly will respond," Russian state-run news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Obama expresses support for Ukraine

U.S. President Barack Obama said he was hopeful but skeptical that the ceasefire would hold, questioning whether pro-Russian rebels would adhere to it.

Obama, speaking at the end of a NATO summit in Wales, added that NATO was "fully united in support of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and ability to defend itself."

Member nations would send nonlethal military aid and help modernize Ukraine's security forces, while the United States and European allies finalize measures "to deepen and broaden sanctions" against Russia, he said.

The Ukrainian government and the West accuse Moscow of backing the rebels with arms and troops -- claims that Moscow has repeatedly denied.

The conflict has sparked a humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine, where homes and infrastructure have been destroyed by shelling. Nationwide, more than a million people have been displaced from their homes by the fighting, most of them in the east.

Luhansk city council said that Saturday was the first day in over a month with no shooting. The city office has started working on repairs to the power and water supply.

Russia has contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross to express its readiness to deliver a second aid convoy to Ukraine, state news agency RIA Novosti reported Saturday, quoting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov.

"We are now discussing the practical details of this operation and expect it to be accomplished," Gatilov is quoted as saying.

Gatilov said he could not discuss details but that this time humanitarian aid would be delivered by railroad. The last Russian aid convoy, which entered without Ukraine's permission, was sent by road.

Ukraine ready for 'significant steps'

Poroshenko said the ceasefire deal was based on his peace plan and an agreement reached in a phone call this week with Putin.

"We are ready to provide significant steps, including the decentralization of power," he said, as well as greater economic freedoms for the Luhansk and Donetsk regions and guarantees that their culture and language be respected. Many people in eastern Ukraine are Russian speakers.

Poroshenko said the exchange of "hostages," or prisoners, could begin as soon as Saturday.

He said he hoped the ceasefire, based on a 12-point plan, would lead to more substantial talks on core issues and a lasting peace.

Swedish minister outlines Russia measures

Ukraine fighting on the ground

NATO to pressure Russia over Ukraine

The talks in Minsk brought together the leaders of the separatist groups with former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, as well as Russia's Ukrainian envoy.

The ceasefire, however, does not mean the end of the self-styled Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, separatist leaders said at a televised news conference after signing the deal.

Poroshenko has asked his foreign minister and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which already has international observers in Ukraine, to monitor compliance with the ceasefire.

A previous unilateral ceasefire declared by the Ukrainian government in June broke down after 10 days.

New sanctions planned

Amid skepticism over Russia's intentions, the European Union agreed a fresh round of sanctions Friday against Russian interests, though they are not yet in force.

The package includes "enhanced measures related to access to capital markets, defense, dual use goods, and sensitive technologies," an EU statement said.

It also includes sanctions against the rebel leadership in eastern Ukraine, the government of Crimea, annexed by Russia in March, and Russian decision makers and oligarchs, it said.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton welcomed the ceasefire, adding that it must now be respected by all sides.

"We hope that this will be a first step toward a sustainable political solution, based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," she said.

"Permanent monitoring of the Russian-Ukrainian border and withdrawal of illegal armed groups and forces illegally operating on Ukrainian territory should be integral parts of such a solution."

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who hosted the NATO summit in Wales, said in his final remarks that what Putin was doing is "indefensible and wrong" and that Russia should face further economic costs.

Western countries in July stepped up targeted sanctions against Russia, prompting a retaliatory ban by Moscow on certain imports.

Putin has voiced sympathy for the separatists, many of whom are ethnic Russians. But he denies that Russia has armed and trained the rebels, or sent Russian troops over the border.

NATO: An amusing show for Putin?

NATO's moment of truth on Ukraine

CNN's Reza Sayah reported from Kiev, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported from London and Jethro Mullen from Hong Kong. CNN's Matthew Chance, Mick Krever, Jo Shelley, Radina Gigova, Michael Martinez and Alla Eshchenko contributed to this report. Journalist Victoria Butenko also contributed from Kiev.

Obama delays immigration action

• NEW: Obama says he wants public to know "what the facts are on immigration"


• White House official: Delay is to prevent election grandstanding


• President Obama has been weighing ways to change immigration system on his own


• Pro-immigration reform groups express disappointment in delay

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama says he's postponing executive action on immigration until after November's elections because it would be "more sustainable" then.

Speaking to NBC's Chuck Todd, Obama said the immigration debate was affected by concerns over the large number of unaccompanied children from Latin America flocking to the U.S. border.

"The truth of the matter is that the politics did shift mid-summer because of that problem," he said.

"What I'm saying is that I'm going to act because it's the right thing for the country," Obama said. "But it's going to be more sustainable and more effective if the public understands what the facts are on immigration, what we've done on unaccompanied children and why it's necessary."

The decision to postpone means any political repercussions for trying to reform the immigration system by himself would come after the congressional midterm contests.

Obama still "will do something before the end of the year" on the issue, a White House official told CNN on Saturday.

People on both sides of the immigration debate criticized the postponement, including pro-immigration reform groups that are impatient for action.

Obama has been weighing executive action on immigration -- including moves that could allow a path to legal status for millions of undocumented workers -- after congressional action on the issue stalled. The options could include expanding a deferred deportation program for children of immigrants.

But he decided to delay any move to "take this issue away from those who would use it to score points as a kind of grandstanding issue," the White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It's too big of an issue to allow it to be used as a tool for people trying to get votes," the official said. "It isn't about votes for any particular candidate; it's about dealing with this issue in an environment that avoids the grandstanding we've seen in the past."

Another reason to wait: Should the Democrats retain control of the Senate in November, Republicans may feel it necessary "to try a different strategy" and compromise on immigration, the White House official said.

Scott Brown criticizes move

Republican Scott Brown, the former U.S. senator from Massachusetts who is now running for Senate from New Hampshire, ripped the move, saying it was a cynical ploy to protect Obama's fellow Democrats for the elections.

After Obama threatened to take executive action this summer, Republicans pushed back, saying among other things that the President shouldn't remove Congress from the equation. Some GOP lawmakers had suggested holding up a bill funding federal agencies -- thus forcing a government shutdown -- if Obama took unilateral action.

"President Obama's decision to delay executive action to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants until after the election is of little comfort to people like myself who believe in the rule of law," said Brown, who faces Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in November.

House Speaker John Boehner said Saturday there was "never a 'right' time" for the President to take action by himself.

"But the decision to simply delay this deeply controversial and possibly unconstitutional unilateral action until after the election -- instead of abandoning the idea altogether -- smacks of raw politics," the top House Republican said.

The Democratic National Committee blasted the Republican criticism.

"The GOP, the party that has blocked meaningful comprehensive immigration reform at every turn and sued the President for acting, is now outraged that he hasn't taken steps that many in their party deemed impeachable offenses," the committee said in a statement.

But pro-immigration reform groups weren't impressed with the delay.

The website of one group, United We Dream, displayed a message Saturday that Obama "has further cemented his legacy as the #DeporterInChief by delaying the usage of his executive authority to stop the deportation of millions of immigrants."

Cristina Jimenez of United We Dream said: "The President's latest broken promise is another slap to the face of the Latino and immigrant community."

The immigration challenge

An estimated 11 million or more immigrants are living illegally in the United States, many of them for years or even decades. The Obama administration has deported or turned back more than 2 million people.

Last year, the Senate passed a comprehensive bill that would provide a path to legal status for the millions of long-term undocumented immigrants while also strengthening border security.

The legislation would have required immigrants illegally living in the country to register with the government, pay a penalty, learn English and begin the process of applying for legal status. It had the backing of the business community, organized labor and religious organizations.

However, House Republicans refused to consider the Senate bill, which Obama and Democrats claim would pass if put to a vote.

Conservatives say the Senate plan amounts to amnesty for lawbreakers, arguing they should be sent back to their home countries because they drive up the size and cost of government while competing with U.S. citizens for jobs.

Democrats want to remove the legal uncertainty for as many of the undocumented immigrants as possible, allowing them to continue living and working here so they can eventually gain legal status and possibly full citizenship.

What Obama has been considering

Among the actions that Obama was considering as recently as August, according to reform advocates involved in conversations with the White House: an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It allows immigrants brought to the country illegally as children to stay without fear of deportation and apply for work permits if they meet certain criteria.

So far, some 660,000 young people have taken advantage of the program, according to a report by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. That's 55% of the 1.2 million who were immediately eligible.

Advocates said the administration also has been considering expanding the program to cover the parents of U.S. citizens or all undocumented parents.

The White House could also decide to cover undocumented immigrants in industries such as farming, or it could expand deportation relief based on how long a person has been living and working in the community. While there are many different mechanisms that could be used to provide relief, using the existing program as the template is an attractive alternative because that process has been running since 2012.

Many Republicans have called for immigration reform that includes tighter border controls. Before for August recess, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill that would have prevented Obama from granting new deferrals -- or even renewing previously granted ones -- under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The Senate has not taken up the bill.

How far can the President go on executive actions?

5 things Obama can and can't do on immigration

CNN's Tom Cohen, Deirdre Walsh, Athena Jones, Jason Hanna and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

Cops: Facebook driver in deadly crash

• Abby Sletten charged with homicide after she crashed car while using her phone


• Phyllis Gordon, 89, was killed in the May 27 collision on a North Dakota highway


• Investigators say Sletten was viewing Facebook photos at time of accident

(CNN) -- A North Dakota woman who police say was using Facebook on her cellphone when she crashed into another car is accused of negligent homicide in the death of a great-grandmother during the May accident.

Abby Sletten, 20, appeared in Traill County District Court on Wednesday to face a count of negligent homicide, court documents said.

Sletten is accused of driving 85 mph on a North Dakota highway May 27 while using her cellphone when her car rear-ended an SUV.

Jennifer Meyers was driving the SUV with her daughter and 89-year-old grandmother, according to an affidavit. A witness told police he saw Meyers' brake lights and turn signal when Sletten's Ford Escape plowed into the car on Interstate 29.

Sletten did not brake and nearly hit the witness' vehicle after striking Meyers' SUV, according to the affidavit.

Meyers' grandmother, Phyllis Gordon, a Minnesota resident, was a passenger in the front seat and died on the scene, the affidavit said.

Meyers and her daughter Paige, who also live in Minnesota, were treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, the court documents said.

Investigators later obtained a warrant to search Sletten's phone and determined she was looking at photos on her mobile Facebook app at the time of the crash, according to the affidavit. She had also sent text messages while driving. The lack of skid marks on the road suggested Sletten did not see Meyers' car in front of her, the documents said.

Police obtained a warrant and arrested Sletten on August 27.

North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Bryan Niewind said it is against state law to compose or read electronic messages while driving.

Although many car accidents happen because of distracted driving, it's difficult to determine whether cellphone usage is the cause unless officials are able to search the suspect's phone, as they did in Sletten's case, Niewind said.

"We do get behind vehicles and all of a sudden they're weaving on the road," Traill County Sheriff Mike Crocker told CNN affiliate KVLY/KXJB. "We do initiate a traffic stop and try to find out what's going on. Texting and driving to me ... is becoming a very serious problem."

The North Dakota texting and driving law, enacted in 2011, prohibits drivers from reading, writing and sending electronic messages, including email, KVLY/KXJB reported. The law carries a $100 fine, but Crocker said a tougher law was needed.

"We gotta have a reason for them to not text and drive," the sheriff told KVLY/KXJB.

According to a 2011 survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers between 18 and 20 have the "highest incidence of crash or near-crash experience," and report the highest level of phone involvement at the time of a crash or near crash. At least half the drivers said talking on a phone made no difference in how they drive.

Two out of 10 drivers said they drove more slowly when talking on the phone, according to the NHTSA survey.

Sletten, a resident of Hatton, is to appear in court October 8. Her lawyer, Bruce Quick, declined to comment.

Traill County State Prosecuting Attorney Stuart Larson was out of town and unavailable for comment.

According to Paulette Bowersox, clerk of Traill County District Court, bail was set at $5,000.

Survey: Adults text more than teens while driving

Malaysia to retrieve MH17 remains

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashed in mid-July in eastern Ukraine. Here, a woman walks with her bicycle near the crash site on Saturday, August 2.

Australian and Dutch experts examine the area of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 plane crash on August 3, near the village of Rossipne, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Police secure a refrigerated train loaded with bodies of passengers from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 as it arrives in a Kharkiv, Ukraine, factory on Tuesday, July 22.

A pro-Russia rebel passes wreckage from the crashed jet near the eastern Ukraine village of Hrabove on Monday, July 21.

Wreckage from the jet lies in grass near Hrabove on July 21.

A man covers his face with a rag as members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Dutch National Forensic Investigations Team inspect bodies in a refrigerated train near the crash site in eastern Ukraine on July 21. The remains of 16 people are still missing, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

Emergency workers carry a victim's body in a bag at the crash site on July 21. Search teams have recovered more than 270 bodies, officials say.

A piece of the Boeing 777 lies in the grass in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region on July 21.

An armed pro-Russia rebel stands guard next to a refrigerated train loaded with bodies in Torez, Ukraine, on Sunday, July 20.

Ukrainian State Emergency Service employees sort through debris on July 20 as they work to locate the deceased.

A woman covers her mouth with a piece of fabric July 20 to ward off smells from railway cars that reportedly contain passengers' bodies.

Toys and flowers sit on the charred fuselage of the jet as a memorial on July 20.

People search a wheat field for remains in the area of the crash site on July 20.

A woman walks among charred debris at the crash site on Sunday, July 20.

Emergency workers load the body of a victim onto a truck at the crash site on Saturday, July 19.

Emergency workers carry the body of a victim at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine on Saturday, July 19.

A large piece of the main cabin is under guard at the crash site on July 19.

Victims' bodies are placed by the side of the road on July 19 as recovery efforts continue at the crash site. International officials lament the lack of a secured perimeter.

A man looks through the debris at the crash site on July 19.

An envelope bearing the Malaysia Airlines logo at the crash site on July 19.

Armed rebels walk past large pieces of the Boeing 777 on July 19.

Ukrainian rescue workers walk through a wheat field with a stretcher as they collect the bodies of victims on July 19.

A woman looks at wreckage at the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash site on July 19.

Pro-Russian fighters stand guard as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe delegation arrives at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine on Friday, July 18.

A woman walks through the debris field on July 18.

Pro-Russia rebels stand guard at the crash site.

Wreckage from Flight 17 lies in a field in Shaktarsk, Urkaine on July 18. International inspectors are headed to the crash site to search for the plane's flight data recorders.

A man covers a body with a plastic sheet near the crash site July 18. The passengers and crew hailed from all over the world, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany and Canada.

A diver searches for the jet's flight data recorders on July 18.

Coal miners search the crash site.

Wreckage from the Boeing 777 lies on the ground July 18 in rebel-held eastern Ukraine.

People search for bodies of passengers on July 18.

A woman walks past a body covered with a plastic sheet near the crash site July 18. The diversity of the victims' nationalities has turned the crash into a global tragedy.

Belongings of passengers lie in the grass on July 18.

People inspect the crash site on Thursday, July 17.

People walk amid the debris at the site of the crash.

Debris smoulders in a field near the Russian border.

Fire engines arrive at the crash site.

A man stands next to wreckage.

Debris from the crashed jet lies in a field in Ukraine.

Family members of those aboard Flight 17 leave Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam, Netherlands.

A large piece of the plane lies on the ground.

Luggage from the flight sits in a field at the crash site.

A couple walks to the location at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam where more information will be given regarding the flight.

Flight arrivals are listed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia.

Debris from the Boeing 777, pictured on July 17.

A man inspects debris from the plane.

Wreckage from the plane is seen on July 17.

A man talks with security at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on July 17.

Wreckage burns in Ukraine.

A man stands next to the wreckage of the airliner that crashed July 17 in Ukraine.

People inspect a piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in Ukraine. This image was posted to Twitter.

People inspect a piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This image was posted to Twitter.

A piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This image was posted to Twitter.

A piece of wreckage believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.

An airsickness bag believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.

A piece of wreckage believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.

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• Malaysian PM: "We intend to send our teams to the crash site as soon as possible"


• Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July


• After the crash, separatists took control of the site and hindered access to investigators


• Of the 298 people killed, around two-thirds were Dutch

(CNN) -- Malaysia plans to send investigators to the crash site of MH17 in Ukraine to retrieve body parts still scattered across fields.

"We intend to send our teams to the crash site as soon as possible," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Saturday in the capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia will work closely with Australia, Ukraine and the Netherlands to ensure that the remains are returned to their families, he said.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was headed from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was in Kuala Lumpur for a bilateral meeting with Najib, reiterated the need for an international investigation.

"We owe it to the families of the victims ... not to rest until the perpetrators of this atrocity are brought to justice," Abbott said.

"It's quite likely that there are remains still left strewn across the fields of eastern Ukraine," he said.

Dutch investigators plan to issue a preliminary report Tuesday on the crash. Of the 298 people killed, around two-thirds were from the Netherlands.

More investigations will be conducted before a final report is issued, the Dutch Safety Board has said. The final report is expected within a year after the crash.

It's unclear who downed the plane, but the United States and Ukraine have accused pro-Russian separatists operating in the region of hitting it with a missile.

After the crash, the separatists took control of the site for weeks, combing through the wreckage and hindering access to investigators.

The rebels in the region signed a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine's government Friday after past attempts to stop the conflict failed.

CNN's Eve Bower contributed to this report