Journalism of Courage
A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 — Flight MH17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur — with 298 people aboard crashed in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border on Thursday. Ukrainian officials said it was shot down by pro-Russia militants, possibly with a heavy, Soviet-era ground-to-air missile.
People inspect the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Hrabove, Ukraine, Thursday (July 17, 2014). (Source: AP)
Malaysia Airlines, still reeling from the mysterious loss of another Boeing 777 flight in March, said it had lost contact with the flight over Ukraine. "The last known position was over Ukrainian air space," it tweeted.
Ukrainian rescuers walk past debris at the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Hrabove, Ukraine. (Source: AP)
Malaysian Airlines said Ukrainian aviation authorities said they had lost contact with the flight at 2:15 pm GMT. It said the plane, carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew members, had left Amsterdam at 12:15 pm and was due to arrive at Kuala Lumpur at 6:10 am Friday.
A man walks amongst the debris at the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Hrabove, Ukraine. (Source: AP)
The plane came down near the city of Donetsk, a stronghold of pro-Russia rebels, Ukrainian Interior Ministry official Anton Geraschenko said on Facebook, adding that it was "shot down with an anti-aircraft system by terrorists" — the term the Kiev government uses for pro-Russia militants.
People walk amongst the debris at the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Hrabove, Ukraine. (Source: AP)
A woman with a child walks past the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Hrabove, Ukraine. (Source: AP)
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak tweeted that he was “shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation.”
In this image taken from video, Thursday July 17, 2014, people walk amongst the debris at the crash site after a passenger plan was shot down Thursday as it flew over Ukraine, near the village of Hrabove, in eastern Ukraine. (Source: AP)
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko described it as an act of terrorism and called for an international investigation.
This image taken from video, Thursday July 17, 2014, shows a guidebook found in the wreckage of a passenger plane after it was shot down Thursday as it flew over Ukraine, near the village of Hrabove, in eastern Ukraine. (Source: AP)
An Emergencies Ministry member walks at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
The Malaysian relative of a passenger onboard the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH17 is assisted by MAS staff members as she leaves Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
Malaysian Siti Dina speaks to media as she arrives to confirm news that her daughter was on board Malaysia Airlines MH17 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014.
Her daughter Shelisa Zaini, Shelisa's Dutch husband and their three children were on board the plane en-route to Melbourne, Australia. (Source: Reuters)
Siti Dina weeps after seeing her daughter's name on the list of passengers on board Malaysia Airlines MH17. (Sourece: Reuters)
A man (in blue) whose family was onboard the Malaysia Airlines MH17 consoles another who had just arrived with her wife to receive confirmation that their daughter's family was onboard the plane, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
Relatives of passengers onboard the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
A Malaysian woman who had a relative on board the Malaysian Airlines MH17 reacts to messages on her mobile phone as she waits to travel to Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Singapore's Changi Airport July 18, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
A woman, who said she believed her sister was on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, cries as she waits for more information about the crashed plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
People place candles and flowers at the Dutch embassy for victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17, which crashed in eastern Ukraine, in Kiev July 17, 2014. The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing all 295 people aboard and sharply raising the stakes in a conflict between Kiev and pro-Moscow rebels. (Source: Reuters)
People light candles at the Malaysian embassy for victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17, which crashed in eastern Ukraine, in Kiev July 17, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
People light candles at the Dutch embassy for the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17, which crashed in eastern Ukraine, in Kiev July 17, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
People leave candles and flowers at the Dutch embassy for victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17, which crashed in eastern Ukraine, in Kiev July 17, 2014. (Source: Reuters)
