In the wake of the horrific events resulting in the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine that claimed the lives of 298 people, here’s what we’ve been able to gather thus far after assessing the mountain of information and reports flooding in.
– Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 – a Boeing 777-200 – departed Amsterdam at 11:14am GMT, 14 minutes behind schedule. It was due to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with a projected arrival time of 6:10am Malaysia time.
– At 2:15pm GMT (around 1:15am Australian Eastern Standard time), the flight disappeared from radar as it was travelling over Ukrainian airspace. Whilst flying at a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet, the plane was struck by a deliberately fired surface-to-air missile, bringing the plane down.
– The plane crashed in eastern Ukraine, north of the township of Torez, in the Donetsk region. This region is controlled by pro-Russian separatists currently embroiled in fighting with the Ukrainian army.
– At 1:36am AEST, Malaysia Airlines tweets the first signs of trouble.
Malaysia Airlines has lost contact of MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace. More details to follow.
— Malaysia Airlines (@MAS) July 17, 2014
– Of the 298 people on board, 283 were passengers with 15 crew. There are no reports of survivors.
– Nationalities-wise, the victims include 154 people from the Netherlands, 43 Malaysians (including the crew and 2 infants), 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians (including 1 infant), 9 Britons, 4 Germans, 4 Belgians, 3 Filipinos and 1 Canadian, with 41 passengers remaining unverified at this moment.
– There is confirmation that 7 Western Australian residents are among those on board.
– Early indicators suggest that the Australian victims comprised of 9 Victorians, 7 from WA, 9 from Queensland, and 1 each from New South Wales and the ACT.
– This ranks as the second worst overseas disaster for Australians, behind only the Bali Bombing.
– The flight was to connect in Kuala Lumpur with a subsequent MA flight to Melbourne.
– Reportedly, up to 100 people on board were heading to Melbourne to attend the 2014 International AIDS Conference, including world-leading researchers and senior delegates on HIV and AIDS.
– The path taken by the flight was declared safe and free of official restriction by both the International Civil Aviation Organisation and by the International Air Transportation Association. The flight did not send out a distress signal.
– Phone calls have been intercepted that purportedly contain conversations between pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine discussing a shot down plane, and confirming the sighting of a civilian plane on the ground.
– Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko claimed that separatists have shot down two other planes in recent weeks, both military, including one Ukraine military cargo carrier. He labelled it a terrorist attack.
– The flight’s Black Box Flight Recorder is alleged to be in the hands of the separatists, with some reports claiming it’s already been sent to Moscow.
– Former US Presidential nominee John McCain speculated that if it was pro-Russian separatists responsible, the only way they could have acquired the weaponry capable of doing so would have been via Russia and Vladimir Putin.
– Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated that the incident looked less like an accident and more like a crime, and that any perpetrators should be brought justice.
– The Russian Ambassador to Australia has been summoned to seek assurances of full cooperation from the Russian Government in the course of the investigation into the attack.
– Igor Girkin – a former Russian Intelligence Officer, now a leader of the pro-Russian separatist movement – allegedly posted the message “We did warn you – do not fly in our sky” on a Russian social media page earlier this morning. The post has since been deleted.
– Russian President Vladimir Putin has levelled blame squarely at the Ukraine, whilst Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has offered assurances to Western leaders and media that the Ukraine Military did not fire on the plane.
Whatever the outcome, the callous disregard for human life that resulted in this incident is sickening. And throughout the flood of fingerpointing that’s bound to ensue in the coming days, weeks, months before definitive answers are known, there are 298 innocent souls who have paid the ultimate price for a dispute over a line on a map.
For what it’s worth in times of unfathomable circumstances, our thoughts are with their families and loved ones.
Photo: Pierre Crom via Getty Images.
