Live reporting: Malaysian plane downed in Ukraine

1:59 am

It remains uncertain whether there are Chinese citizens on the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine, Chinese embassy in Ukraine told Beijing News. The embassy also said it is keeping close contact with Ukrainian authorities.

1:52 am

The total number of dead in the crash is more than 300 and includes 23 U.S. citizens, a Ukrainian interior ministry aide said, Reuters reported.

"More than 300 innocent people have been killed ... it is known that 23 U.S. citizens were killed," Zoryan Shkyryak was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

1:13 am

Russian Airliner Transaero says will avoid Ukrainian airspace for all future flights after Malaysian passenger jet crash - Reuters

1:10 am

Malaysia Airlines issued a media statement

1:00 am

Separatist rebels in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk have denied that they are responsible for shooting down a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane, AP reported.

0:53 am

Lufthansa says has decided to avoid East Ukrainian air space (not all of country) with immediate effect - Reuters

0:45 am

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation told US President Barack Obama that a Malaysian airplane crashed on Ukrainian territory, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

The two leaders held a pre-planned call on the situation in Ukraine during which information became available from air traffic controllers about the crash.

0:43 am

Boeing says they'll comply with investigation Boeing told CNN that it will aid in any investigation that follows the Malaysia Airlines plane crash.

0:37 am

Dozens of bodies were scattered around the smouldering wreckage of a passenger jet that crashed in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, a Reuters reporter said.

An emergency services rescue worker said at least 100 bodies had so far been found at the scene, near the village of Grabovo, and that debris from the wreckage was scattered across an area up to about 15 km (nine miles) in diameter.

Broken pieces of the wings were marked with blue and red paint - the same colours as the emblem of the Malaysian airline which lost track of a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was carrying almost 300 people.

0:33 am

20 Dutch people reportedly on board Sky News is reporting that at least 20 Dutch citizens were on board the doomed flight, Sky New tweeted.

0:26 am

Malaysian PM: "shocked" at reports of jet crash, launching "immediate investigation". - CNN

0:21 am

White House says Obama in aware of reports of downed Malaysian plane but cannot confirm any of the details.

0:15 am

Ukaine Prime Minister orders investigation into Malaysian "airplaine catastrophe" - Reuters

AMSTERDAM

0:10 am

Reuters correspondent on the scene in Eastern Ukraine sees burning wreckage of the air plane, bodies on ground.

0:06 am

Malaysia Airlines said via its Twitter feed on Thursday it had lost contact with flight MH17 from Amsterdam.It said the plane's last known position was over Ukrainian airspace.