A Malaysian Airlines passenger plane has been shot down on the
Russian-Ukraine border, killing all 295 people on board, according to a
Ukrainian interior ministry official.
Flight MH17, which was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew, was
flying from Amsterdam toKuala Lumpur after taking off at lunchtime
today. The Interfax news agency reported that the aircraft went missing
near Donetsk, where pro-Russian rebels have been fighting Ukrainian
government forces.
TV pictures from the scene showed a pall of smoke billowing into the sky apparently from the
stricken aircraft. Witnesses say body parts are
scattered over a distance of 15km, suggesting the plane broke up in
mid-air. It is believed the plane was struck by a BUK surface-to-air
missile at 33,000ft around 20 miles before entering Russian airspace.