Malaysia Airlines releases passenger manifest of MH17

MANILA, Philippines – Malaysia Airlines on Saturday night, July 19, released a passenger manifest of the ill-fated Flight MH17.

In a statement, the airline said that in the past 45 hours, together with various foreign embassies, it has made “every effort to establish contact with the next-of-kin” of the victims of the plane crash, but has still been “unable to identify many more family members.”

The passenger manifest listed 3 Filipinos – Irene, Darryl and Sherryl Gunawan – and Hadiono Gunawan, an Indonesian, as being among the 298 fatalities.

Malaysia Airlines flight 17 crashed in strife-torn eastern Ukraine on Thursday, July 17, after it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

As of 5 pm Saturday, the airline tallied the 298 passengers according to their nationalities:

• Netherlands – 193 (including 1 dual Netherlands/USA citizen)
• Malaysia – 43 (including 15 crew and 2 infants)
• Australia – 27
• Indonesia – 12 (including one infant)
• United Kingdom – 10 (including one dual UK/South Africa citizen
• Germany – 4
• Belgium – 4
• Philippines – 3
• Canada – 1
• New Zealand – 1

Family members of those on the passenger manifest were advised to contact Malaysia Airlines’ Family Support Center if in Malaysia at +60378841234. Those in the Philippines were advised to contact the Manila office of Malaysia Airlines at +6328891863. Those in Indonesia can call the Jakarta office at  +62215229705.

Not in restricted air space

In a press briefing, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the plane’s flight path was a “busy major airway, like a highway in the sky.”

“It followed a route which was set out by the international aviation authorities, approved by Eurocontrol, and used by hundreds of other aircraft. It flew at an altitude set, and deemed safe, by the local air traffic control. And it never strayed into restricted airspace,” Liow said in an introductory statement.

“The flight and its operators followed the rules. But on the ground, the rules of war were broken. In an unacceptable act of aggression, it appears that MH17 was shot down; its passengers and crew killed by a missile. This outrage cannot go unpunished. Once again, Malaysia condemns this brutal act of aggression, and calls for those responsible to be found, and to face the full force of justice without delay,” the Transport Minister said. – Rappler.com