27 australians missing on downed malaysian flight

[viewmont1071]

http://www.thereporter.com.au/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-shot-down-over-ukrai/2322591/

DUTCH authorities have confirmed that 27 Australians were among the 295 on board the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which crashed overnight.

Anyone with concerns about friends or family, contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 1300 555 135

DFAT: 'Grave concerns' for Australians on board MH17

[tasfleur]

What I would add to this has already been posted, may they rest in peace.

[lionrose.7]

For once I have to agree with Tony, this is not a accident it is a crime.

My heart goes out to all the families of the victims.

[lionrose.7]

Joep Lange was a leading AIDS researcher and clinician and an activist at heart. Lost today too soon on Malaysian flight 019. RIP

[freddie*rooster]

You have to wonder how informed PM Abbott was.  About an hour prior to him addressing the Australian people on the Today show it was confirmed 27 Australian lives were lost but he had the confirmed number of Australian casualties wrong claiming 23 Australian lost.

[icyfroth]

heard him speak on the radio this morning he said 23 - possibly 27

[ashjoma]

The ABC has said the nationality of many is not known yet

[ufo_investigations]

Intercepted transcript from Russian radio reveals they shot down the plane. Apparently the plane was flying at 33,000 feet. 2,000 feet above Ukraine airspace.

What I want to know though whose idea was it that a commercial plane was safe to fly over a war zone?

[raptor_rebooted]

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@ashjoma wrote:
The ABC has said the nationality of many is not known yet

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usa have not released the number of their nationals yet.

aus dept of foreign affairs would be better informed than

a morning show making sure the info is correct before releasing

to public - wouldnt it

hopefully aus consular staff  in warsaw will get access to the crash

site soon.

[raptor_rebooted]

---

@ufo_investigations wrote:

Intercepted transcript from Russian radio reveals they shot down the plane. Apparently the plane was flying at 33,000 feet. 2,000 feet above Ukraine airspace.

What I want to know though whose idea was it that a commercial plane was safe to fly over a war zone?

---

the flight route was declared 

safe by international civil aviation organisation

also the air space was not subject to restrictions

according to other air transport authorities. 

avoiding the area was up to individual airlines discretion. they

obviously didnt think a passenger plane would be targeted.

[icyfroth]

Update:

MH17 should have avoided route: expert

Central Queensland University accident investigation and safety specialist Professor Geoff Dell says the airline shouldn't have been flying over Ukraine.

"From as soon as the conflict started they shouldn't have been going anywhere near it," Prof Dell said.

"They should've shifted to alternate routes, like all the other airlines seemed to have done."

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