(Transcript from SBS World News Radio)
Federal politicians have expressed their condolences to the families of those on board a Malaysia Airlines plane that crashed in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people aboard.
The government says 28 Australians are amongst the dead.
Passengers from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Indonesia, Britain, Germany, Belgium and the Philippines were also onboard.
There are also reports that some of the passengers were travelling to Melbourne for a major internatiional HIV/AIDS summit.
Santilla Chingaipe reports.
(Click on the audio tab above to hear the full report)
The Malaysian airliner was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed in rebel-held east Ukraine, killing all on board.
Authorities say Flight MH17 was flying over the war-torn region and due to enter Russian airspace when it disappeared from radar.
The Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists have been fighting each other in the region.
Both sides have denied shooting down the plane and instead accuse each other.
Rebel leader Aleksandr Borodai has blamed the Ukrainian air force for shooting it down.
"The passenger aircraft has been shot down -- indeed, shot down by Ukrainian air forces. To tell the truth, this is a provocation on purpose. In principle, this is not the first time for Ukraine to shoot down passenger aircrafts."
Ukraine's President, Petro Poroshenko, has described the crash as an act of terrorism.
"I've just concluded a conversation with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and offered my condolences. On behalf of Ukraine, I invited professionals and experts from the Netherlands to investigate this terrorist attack transparently. I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that we are not calling it an accident or disaster but an act of terrorism."
United States officials say the Boeing 777 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile but say it is unclear who fired the weapon.
The airliner was reportedly flying at an altitude of more than 30-thousand feet.
That would put it within the range of Russian-made Buk missiles that are in the arsenals of both forces: the Ukrainian and the Russian.
Aviation safety authorities in the United States and Europe warned pilots in April about potential risks flying in or near Ukraine airspace.
Several major airlines have said they will no longer be flying their aircraft over Ukrainian airspace.
US Vice President Joe Biden says MH17 was intentionally downed.
"Apparently it had been shot down. Shot down, not an accident. Blown out of the sky."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told the ABC there is still no confirmation yet of what really happened.
"We just have all sorts of reports and claims flying around. That's all we have at the moment. Reports and claims, I'm very conscious of the fact that the Ukrainian President has made that statement. I believe there have been other statements of people in authority in Ukraine. But we just can't say. If it does turn out that this aircraft was brought down by a surface to air missile. There is no doubt that this would be an unspeakable crime and the perpetrators should be brought to justice."
Tony Abbott has confirmed that Australians were aboard the flight.
He says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is urgently seeking to confirm the number and the identities of the Australians involved.
"Obviously we're talking to the Dutch, to try to find out exactly who was on that plane. We will be talking to the Malaysians, and I hope to put a call into Prime Minister Najib (Razak) later today and we are making arrangements to deploy staff to Kiev to provide whatever assistance and whatever help is needed at this very very sad time."
The federal opposition has described the incident as devastating and expressed its condolences to the families of those aboard.
DFAT has established a 24 hour hotline (1300 555 135) for anyone with concerns about people.
The disaster comes just months after Malaysia's Flight MH 370 disappeared on March the 8th with 239 people on board.
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has called for a full international investigation of the latest tragedy.
The UN Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting on the situation in Ukraine later today.
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