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Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 Shot Down In Ukraine
Yesterday, 298 passengers died aboard the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 when it crashed in Eastern Ukraine.
The 15-member crew was entirely Malaysian nationals, according to Jos Nijhuis, the CEO of Schiphol Airport. The information was announced at a news conference by officials from Malaysia Airlines and the Amsterdam airport, where the flight to Kuala Lumpur originated.
Passengers included 12 Indonesians (one infant), 28 from Malaysia (two infants), 27 from Australia, 154 Dutch passengers, nine from the United Kingdom, three from the Phillippines, four from Germany, four from Belgium, and at least one Canadian. No names were provided and the nationalities of 41 passengers have yet to be released.
The airline was notified by Ukranian aviation authorities that contact with flight MH17 was lost 50 kilometres from the border with Russia. Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko is calling for an international investigation into flight MH17, as he believes it was an act of terrorism.
A source from Ukraine’s National Security Council said to Mashable that the plane was hit by a Buk missile that can fire missiles up to 72,000 feet.
U.S. intelligence officials believe that the passenger plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile, but are not sure of its origin, as reported by CNBC. Vice President Joe Biden stated that it was “not an accident”, and that the plane was “blown out of the sky”.
The Security Service of Ukraine allege that a leaked audio tape revealing pro-Russian rebels conversing about the plane crash is authentic. Eastern Ukranian rebels can be overheard blaming “Cossacks” at a checkpoint down the road for having shot down the plane, saying, “It’s the Cernukhinskis. The Cossacks who stay in Chernuknhinks, from their post.”
The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority has barred American flights from entering the airspace of eastern Ukraine until further notice. Flights were previously barred from Crimea and surrounding areas.
The Secretary of State John Kerry released an official statement saying, “We are horrified by the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. There are no words adequate to express our condolences to the families of the nearly 300 victims. We offer our sympathies and support to the governments of Malaysia and the Netherlands at this difficult time, as well as to all those whose citizens may have been on board. We are reviewing whether any American citizens were aboard the flight. The United States Government remains prepared to assist with a credible, international investigation any way we can, and we will continue to be in touch with all relevant partners as we seek the facts of what happened today.”
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with journalist Charlie Rose, that there is a “growing awareness that it probably had to be Russian insurgents.” She continued, “If there is evidence linking Russia to this, that should inspire the Europeans to do much more.” There is currently a U.S.-led campaign to support the new Ukranian government and to deter Russian interference.
The Prime Minister of Malaysia released a statement posted on Facebook that “if it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice,” also stating that he had spoken to presidents of the Ukraine and the U.S., with both pledging their support.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to the families who had lost loved ones, yet also blamed the conflict in Ukraine.
Meanwhile the rest of the world continues to mourn and wait for more details of the tragedy, and its impact on a country and airline that has faced a challenging year. Malaysian Airlines is still trying to recover from the damage to its business from the disappearance of Flight 370 in March that is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean.
Featured Image: globalnews
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