Twenty-five forensic experts and dozens of support staff are now working to identify the remains of victims from the Malaysia Airlines plane that was shot down over eastern Ukraine last week.

The aerial search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet was called off Monday, and the underwater hunt will be expanded to include a vast swath of ocean floor that may take at least eight months to thoroughly search, Australian officials said.

Australia's prime minister says officials have narrowed the search zone for the missing Malaysian jetliner.