A MALAYSIAN Airlines passenger plane with 295 people has crashed in Ukraine today killing everyone onboard after reportedly being shot down by Russian authorities.
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| A second Malaysia Airlines plane has crashed today, this time near Russia[AP] |
Malaysia Airlines confirms it has lost contact with one of its planes, MH 17, a Boeing 777. The airline would not confirm if its plane crashed.
The plane was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace, the airline said.
Boeing has also tweeted from its official Twitter account that it is investigating the reports as well.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with those on board MH17, as well as their families and loved ones. We stand ready to provide assistance," the aircraft maker then tweeted.
A Ukrainian government adviser Anton Gerashenko said on Facebook that a plane carrying 295 people was shot down over a town in the east of the country, the Associated Press is reporting.
Gerashenko said on his Facebook page the plane was flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters (33,000 feet) when it was hit by a missile fired from a Buk launcher. A similar launcher was seen by Associated Press journalists near the eastern Ukrainian town of Snizhne earlier Thursday.
Ukraine's president said, "Armed Forces of Ukraine did not take action against any airborne targets."
The plane was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace, the airline said.
Boeing has also tweeted from its official Twitter account that it is investigating the reports as well.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with those on board MH17, as well as their families and loved ones. We stand ready to provide assistance," the aircraft maker then tweeted.
A Ukrainian government adviser Anton Gerashenko said on Facebook that a plane carrying 295 people was shot down over a town in the east of the country, the Associated Press is reporting.
Gerashenko said on his Facebook page the plane was flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters (33,000 feet) when it was hit by a missile fired from a Buk launcher. A similar launcher was seen by Associated Press journalists near the eastern Ukrainian town of Snizhne earlier Thursday.
Ukraine's president said, "Armed Forces of Ukraine did not take action against any airborne targets."
"I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation," tweeted Malaysia Prime Minister Mohd Najib Tun Razak.
ABC News reports the U.S. government issued an order in April to all American air carriers commercial and freight, barring them from traveling in the airspace over Crimea and part of the Black Sea, one of the five Ukrainian flight zones. The decision came in response to Russia's decision to unilaterally take over control of the Crimea air region.
