Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam and carrying 295 298 people, was shot down today over eastern Ukraine by a surface-to-air missile as it flew about 10 km above the earth’s surface.
High-speed computers and powerful mathematical algorithms are being used to try to estimate the origin of the missile, the New York Times reports, but CBS News reported that US government officials had seen an actual trajectory of the missile on radar before it hit the plane.
Debris has been scattered over some six square miles, and the flight data and cockpit voice recorders have not yet been found. They should provide evidence that the plane didn’t go down as a result of mechanical failure.
The plane was shot down over what has become a war zone—a rebel stronghold, backed by Russian support and President Vladimir Putin—fighting against the Ukrainian government, led by new President Petro O Poroshenko. He called for an immediate investigation, but in the hours following the crash, it wasn’t clear what role expert flight investigators from the US or the UK would play—or whether anyone would be allowed on the scene, which lies deep within rebel territory.
And although it’s known that a surface-to-air missile was used to shoot down the plane, what is not clear, and may not be clear for some time, is what the shooter was thinking: Was the Boeing 777 targeted specifically? Was it a case of mistaken identity? And so on.
What role Russia and the pro-Russia separatists played is still unknown as well, although both have denied any responsibility for shooting down the Malaysian Airlines plane, CBS News reported.
What is also unknown is the nationality of dozens of people who died aboard the airliner. Most of the passengers were Dutch, but reports of one Canadian have surfaced. We don’t expect this information to become final for some time.
Unconfirmed reports by The Independent suggest that six Britons, 23 Americans, and 80 children were among the dead. A report by Al Jazeera says the number of British citizens was nine, and a report in the Belfast Telegraph says 66 children were killed. These reports, clearly, will be corrected as more information becomes available.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed in the disaster.
