British PM seeks thorough probe into MH17 crash

London, July 18 (IANS) British Prime Minister David Cameron Friday urged all governments concerned to "get to the bottom of what happened and how it happened" to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed Thursday in eastern Ukraine with 298 people on board.

"It is an absolutely appalling, shocking, horrific incident that has taken place and we have got to get to the bottom of what happened and how it happened. We have some information but we need to find more," Cameron said in a statement.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a Boeing 777-200, was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down Thursday in eastern Ukraine with 298 passengers and crew aboard, according to Malaysian Airlines.

No survivor has been found on the crashed plane.

"My thoughts are with those who lost loved ones on flight MH17, including the families of the British citizens on board," Cameron said.

The prime minister said he has been on the telephone Friday to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose countries have suffered loss of life as well, Xinhua reported.

"I've also been in contact with the Malaysians and will be making other calls so we can share the information we have between us," he added.

"If, as seems possible, the plane was brought down then those responsible must be held to account and we must lose no time in doing that," he continued, adding that the "absolutely shocking" incident "cannot be allowed to stand".

The prime minister called on all governments concerned to cooperate in investigating the incident.

"What is absolutely necessary is for all governments to cooperate in every way they can to get to the bottom of what happened, to make sure that this site can be properly investigated, and to make sure that the bodies of loved ones can be properly recovered," he urged.

There were British nationals on board the ill-fated aircraft besides 189 Dutch, 44 Malaysians, 27 Australians and 12 Indonesians among others.