A FORMER Lithgow woman killed when Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over the Ukraine last week has been described as a ‘lovely girl’ by those who remember her.
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Emma Bell was among 298 people who died when their Boeing jetliner was blasted out of the sky allegedly by pro Russian rebels.
Sydney TV crews descended on Lithgow at the weekend pursuing dead ends while attempting to contact members of Emma Bell’s family.
But it has since been learned that the family left Lithgow more than 10 years ago and moved to ‘somewhere in Queensland’.
Emma was the daughter of Peter and Barbara Bell and she had a brother Sean.
The family resided in Sandford Avenue but according to neighbours moved to Queensland, possibly in the late 1990s.
Mrs Bell is understood to have worked at Tanderra nursing home but the Mercury has been unable to identify where Peter Bell worked.
Mrs Marie Bright was the next door neighbour to the Bells.
“They were a lovely family and never stopped working on doing improvements to their house,” Mrs Bright said.
“Emma and Sean were lovely kids and it’s a dreadful tragedy what has happened.”
Mrs Bright said she lost touch with her neighbours after they moved to Queensland but her grandson had over the years maintained contact with Sean Bell.
The Bell children attended Cooerwull Primary School and Lithgow High.
Emma Bell was described by colleagues as a truly dedicated teacher and mentor for children attending an Aboriginal school at Maningrida in Arnhem Land.
She was returning home from an overseas holiday to return to her teaching job yesterday.
