Malaysia Airlines flight with 295 on board crashes in Ukraine

Kuala Lumpur/Moscow, July 17 (IANS) A Malaysia Airlines plane with 280 passengers and 15 crew members on board was "shot down" in Ukraine near the Russian border Thursday, media reports said.

Citing sources, the Malaysian Star said that the Boeing 777, which was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was "shot down" while cruising at an altitude of 30,000 feet.

It crashed in a conflict-hit zone near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, the report said, adding the plane did not enter Russian airspace.

It also cited the Ukrainian interior ministry as saying that all 295 people on board are feared dead.

--Indo-Asian News service

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