• Ukraine, pro-Russian separatists trade blame
Controversy yesterday trailed the crashing of a passenger plane in
which 295 were killed in Ukraine, near Russian border, with allegation
and counter-allegation that it was shot down. The plane took off from
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.The plane, which was flying to Kuala Lumpur,
was travelling at an altitude of 10km (6.2 miles) when a missile blasted
it mid-air, Russia’s Interfax reported.
Last night, Ukrainian officials accused pro-Russian separatists of
shooting down the plane, while the rebels also fingered the Ukrainian
government of the attack. The United State Government, on its part,
confirmed that the plane was shot down.
Ukrainian media have broadcast audio purported to be conversations
intercepted by the Security Service between pro-Russian militants, in
which several men talk about having shot down a civilian plane. But
separatist leader Alexander Borodai accused the government of shooting
down the airliner.
“Apparently, it’s a passenger airliner indeed, truly shot down by the
Ukrainian air force,” he told Russia’s state-run Rossiya 24 TV
broadcaster.
The Interfax news agency reported that rebels had found the black box
flight recorder, but this has not been independently confirmed.
All 295 people aboard the plane were killed, a Ukrainian interior
ministry official said, blaming “terrorists” using a ground-to-air
missile.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called the downing of the
flight a “catastrophe.” He ordered that a government commission
investigate the crash, a statement from his office said.
“We do not exclude that the plane was shot down and confirm that the
Ukraine Armed Forces did not fire at any targets in the sky,” Ukrainian
President Petro Poroshenko said, according to his website.
He also said he has expressed condolences to The Netherlands Prime
Minister Mark Rutte about the crashed plane. He invited Dutch experts to
participate in the investigation of the crash, emphasising that he does
not call it an “incident” or a “catastrophe,” but a “terrorist action.”
United States President Barack Obama has said the nation’s prayers
are with victims of plane crash, amid reports that 23 Americans died in
the accident.
Obama commented briefly on the incident at the beginning of an event
in Wilmington, Delaware. He stated: “It looks like it may be a terrible
tragedy. Right now we are working to determine whether there were
American citizens on board – that is our first priority.
“And I’ve directed my national security team to stay in close contact
with the Ukrainian government.
As a country, our thoughts and prayers
are with the families and passengers, wherever they call home.”
As at press time, Reuters quoted an emergency services rescue worker
as saying that at least 100 bodies had so far been found at the scene,
near the village of Grabovo, and that debris from the wreckage was
spread across an area up to about 15 km (nine miles) in diameter.
The Boeing 777 was brought down by a Buk ground-to-air missile, an
adviser to the Ukrainian interior ministry, quoted by the news agency,
said. The adviser said the 280 passengers and 15 crew members, who were
on the plane, are all believed to have died.
A spokesman for Malaysian Airlines, still reeling from the loss of
flight MH370 in March, confirmed it had lost contact with flight MH17 at
12.14pm local time.
The flight disappeared from radar, as it flew over Ukrainian airspace, the spokesman said.
Media reports said the plane fell between Krasni Luch in Luhansk
region and Shakhtarsk in the neighbouring region of Donetsk. Donetsk
region, where there has been recent heavy fighting amid continuing
tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Data from Flightradar24 suggests the plane had just passed the city of Kremenchuk when it disappeared.
“I was working in the field on my tractor when I heard the sound of a
plane and then a bang and shots. Then I saw the plane hit the ground
and break in two. There was thick black smoke,” said a witness, who gave
Reuters his name only as Vladimir.
A separatist rebel from nearby Krasnyi Luch, who gave his name only
as Sergei, said: “From my balcony I saw a plane begin to descend from a
great height and then heard two explosions. He denied the rebels had
shot the plane down.
“This could happen only if it was a fighter jet or a surface-to-air
missile (that shot it down),” he told Reuters, saying the rebels did not
have weapons capable of shooting shoot down a plane at such a height.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “expressed deep condolences” to
Malaysia’s Prime Minister over the crash, a post yesterday on the
Kremlin’s website said. He “asked to pass the most sincere word of
condolences and support to families and relatives of (the crash)
victims,” the post said.
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