Ukrainian rebels shot down a Malaysian jet carrying 295 people over eastern Ukraine near its border with Russia, a Ukrainian Interior Ministry official said.

The Boeing 777 flight between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur was hit by a missile and went down near the eastern town of Torez, Ukrainian Interior Minister adviser Anton Gerashchenko said on his Facebook page. The plane was carrying 280 people and 15 crew, he said.

The plane began losing altitude about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Russian air space, news service Interfax reported, citing an unidentified aviation official. The wreckage of the plane was found burning on Ukrainian territory.

Bloomberg