Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

Seems like bad luck if following Malaysian Airline everywhere.

Malaysian airliner ‘shot down’ in Ukraine, 295 dead - World - DAWN.COM

KIEV: A Malaysian airliner was shot down over eastern Ukraine by militants on Thursday, killing all 295 people aboard, a Ukrainian interior ministry official was quoted as saying by Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

The aircraft, which other sources said was a Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, came down near the city of Donetsk, stronghold of pro-Russian rebels, Anton Gerashchenko said, adding that it was hit by a ground-to-air missile.

There was no further confirmation of the report, although Ukrainian officials said local residents had found wreckage.

Malaysia Airlines said on its Twitter feed it had lost contact with its flight MH-17 from Amsterdam. “The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace,” it said.

Gerashchenko was quoted as saying: “A civilian airliner travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has just been shot down by a Buk anti-aircraft system … 280 passengers and 15 crew have been killed.”

Interfax-Ukraine quoted another Ukrainian official as saying the plane disappeared from radar when it was flying at 10,000 metres (33,000 feet), a typical cruising altitude for airliners.

It came down at Torez, near Shakhtersk, some 40 km (25 miles) from the Russia border. The area has been the scene of fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels.

Ukraine has accused Russia of taking an active role in the four-month-old conflict in recent days and accused it earlier on Thursday of shooting down a Ukrainian fighter jet - an accusation that Moscow denied.

2

Re: Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

there is already a thread about this incident.

3

Re: Malaysian airliner ‘shot down’ in Ukraine, 295 dead

^^^ Diff incident…

4

Re: Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

This is a really sad news :( where is this world heading to ?

5

Re: Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

PIA still flying over Ukraine, best not to travel on PIA anymore guys, that airline does not care for safety

6

Re: Malaysian airliner ‘shot down’ in Ukraine, 295 dead

Where did you get that? PIA stopped flying over Ukraine before anyone else.

PIA discontinued Ukraine routes months ago - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

7

Re: Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

Have they blamed this on Putin yet? No, just wait its coming... not that it will change anything but why not atleast try.

8

Re: Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

I'm surprised by the response of international community. I'm sure the response would have been different had it been a western airline.

Hopefully they will find out who did this and hold them responsible. Otherwise this could happen again. There are way too many war zones around the world.

9

Re: Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

the way Russia is helping the rebels in removing truckloads of dead bodies and parts of the downed aircraft, it shows their implicit involvement.

10

Re: Malaysian airliner ‘shot down’ in Ukraine, 295 dead

Most of the dead are Europeans (193 Dutch out of 298 passengers).

Grieving dad blasts Putin in heartbreaking open letter | New York Post

A Dutch dad whose teenage daughter was killed on the Malaysia Airlines flight shot down over Ukraine penned an eviscerating letter to the man he believes to be responsible for his unspeakable loss — Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Thank you very much mister Putin, leaders of the separatists or the Ukraine government! For murdering my loved and only child, Elsemiek de Borst!” Hans de Borst wrote in an angry open letter to those responsible for blowing up Flight 17 Thursday.
“Aforementioned misters, I hope you’re proud to have shot her amongst other young life and future. And that you will be able to look at yourself in the mirror tomorrow morning.” he wrote in Dutch.
De Borst, 51, started his missive by memorializing his 17-year-old girl.
“Elsemiek would have done her final school exams next year, together with her best friend Julia and Marina, she did so good in school!”
“After that she wanted to go to the ‘Technical University Delft’ [in the Netherlands] to study engineering. She was looking forward to it,” the anguished father wrote.
Then, de Borst laments that his daughter will never be able to fulfill her dreams. “But suddenly she is not here anymore! She has been shot out of the sky, in an unknown country, where there is a war going on,” he wrote.
Elsemiek, who had piercing light-blue eyes and long brown hair, was headed to Malaysia for a “well-deserved summer vacation,” according to her school’s Facebook page.
“She was on her way to her holiday in Maleisië together with her little brother, her mom (my ex-wife) and her stepfather,” de Borst wrote.
Elsemiek’s friends and family members gathered Friday night to remember her. “We are still silent,” read a tribute to Elsemiek on her school’s Facebook page.
De Borst was not sure how Putin would be able to read the letter because it was written in Dutch, but he had some ideas. “I hope you will receive this message, maybe translated in English (what you as a[n] intelligent gentleman could read just fine).”
De Borst said his life will never be the same after the July 17 tragedy, writing a bleak sign off — “Regards, Elsemiek’s father Hans de Borst from [hometown] Monster, The Netherlands, whose life is ruined!!”
But he still had a few more words for Russia’s leader. “PS Mister Putin, I hope that your intense conversation with our Prime Minister Rutte opened your eyes!”
“I know you are impressed by this and I would find it impressive if you took the initiative to guard the crash sight with the Russian military so the Dutch investigators can do their job,” he added.
He finished the letter with a cordial: “Thanks in advance.”
After the letter was translated into English by a family friend, it was shared from de Borst’s Facebook account.
There was an outpouring of support for de Borst’s strong words to Putin and the terrible tragedy that has stricken his family.
“Well written Hans. It is very brave of you. It reflects all our sentiments and more! We sincerely hope and pray that the powers that be will heed your heartfelt message,” wrote Jute Williams, a friend of his from Wales.
“Than[k]s so much Jute. I feel it directly, a hard future left unfortunately!!! XXX” de Borst wrote back.
Elsemiek was one of 193 Dutch citizens — and 298 people overall — who were killed aboard the doomed Flight 17.

11

Re: Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

Its heartbreaking that the human bodies are being treated with such disrespect.

My husband and I were talking the other day , what if this was done deliberately by a bigger power to reign in Putin. After all its evident now that the bigger powers control the world order.

12

Re: Malaysian airliner 'shot down' in Ukraine, 295 dead

Another Angola? another north-south Korea, another Vietnam, another Lebanon?