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.
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| The BUK surface-to-air missile system (like this one) is believed to have shot down flight MH17 |
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