A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crashed in the hostile region of Ukraine on Thursday (July 17) while en route to Kuala Lampar from Amsterdam, NBC News reports. With 295 people on board, the jet was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, according to a Ukrainian government adviser. The airline company took to Twitter, saying they lost contact with flight MH17.
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
President Barack Obama said the U.S. government is working to see whether Americans were on board. UPDATE: Vice President Joe Biden says that a plane was “apparently” shot down because “we don’t actually have all the details. I want to be sure of what I say. Apparently, have been shot down. Shot down, not an accident. Blown out of the sky,” via NBC News. The airlines reports that all members of the plane crew were Malaysian while the passengers were mixed:
KLM/Malaysia Air Europe say 27 Australians, 6 Britons aboard downed #MH17 – pic.twitter.com/zWtCNpqGyU
— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) July 17, 2014
Photo Credit: Getty Images