(Image source from: Malaysian plane crashes over Ukraine)

A Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down on Thursday by terrorists over the Ukraine-Russia border. The plane crash killed all 298 people on board the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The jet was reportedly shot down by terrorists and crashed over war-torn eastern Ukraine, bordering Russia. This is the second such plane mishap involving Malaysia Airlines within four months after the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean.

The fateful Boeing 777 had 298 people on board – including 283 passengers and 15 crew members.

A Malaysia Airlines spokesperson has confirmed reports of the plane crash saying it has received notification from the Ukrainian Air Traffic Control. The ATC alerted Malaysia Airlines of having lost contact with Flight MH17 at 1415 GMT (8:45 IST). The location of the illfated flight was last pinned at 30km from Tamak waypoint, almost 50km from the Ukrainian-Russian border.

"Nearly," an advisor to the Ukrain's Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko said that Malaysia Airlines Boeing- 777 crashed in eastern Ukraine, killing almost 300 people.
Herashchenko's Facebook post said: "It was flying at the altitude of 10,000 meters. 280 passengers and 15 crew members died."
"The aircraft was shot down over Ukraine by terrorists operating a Buk surface-to-air missile system," he added.

According to reports, Flight MH17 had 71 Dutch, 23 Americansand 9 Briton nationals among its passengers.

Russia co-ordinated with its Ukrainian colleagues to conduct joint rescue works at the plane crash site.

Burning aircraft wreckage and bodies strewn on the ground could be seen at the Grabovo village, the crash site. The area is nearly 40 kms from the Russian border and is also a hot-bed of pro-Russian rebels.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko stated that the Malaysia Airlines was probably shot down over his Ukrainian airspace. Poroshenko termed the crash as a terrorist act and not a catastrophe.

Pro-Russian rebels have been accused of shooting down the plane by Ukrainian officials. However, the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic issued a press service staing that the plane was shot down by Ukrainian air force, which fired a Su-25 combat jet. The charge has been denied by Ukraine.

Now the efforts are on to find the black box from the crash site.

In recent weeks, quite a few Ukrainian military planes have been downed by missiles. Ukrainian officials hold Russia responsine for them. They have accused Russia of supplying advanced missiles to the pro-Russian rebel.

After the tragic plane crash, several airlines, including Air India, Air France, Jet Airways and Lufthansa have said that now onwards they would avoid eastern Ukrainian airspace.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting over the Malaysia Airlines plane crash on Friday morning.

(AW: Pratima Tigga)