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Malaysia Airline crash: Foreign Office sets up helpline Malaysia Airline crash: Philip Hammond believes Britons were on board
(35 minutes later)
The UK Foreign Office has set up a helpline for anyone concerned their friends or relatives may have been involved in the Malaysia Airline crash. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said he believes there were British nationals on board the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
Some 295 people are believed to have died when the Boeing 777 came down near the village of Grabovo after taking off from Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur. Mr Hammond said he did not have detailed information as to the exact number.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is due to make a statement shortly. Some 295 people are believed to have died when the Boeing 777 came down in eastern Ukraine after taking off from Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur.
It comes after earlier media reports suggested British nationals could have been travelling on the plane. The UK Foreign Office has set up a helpline for anyone concerned.
Anyone concerned can text MH17 to +44 7860010026, call 020 7008 1500 or fill out an online form at https://overseas-crisis.service.gov.uk. The British government has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the incident, the BBC's UN correspondent Nick Bryant says.
Crisis helpline
The Foreign Office said anyone concerned could text MH17 to +44 7860010026, call 020 7008 1500 or fill out an online form at https://overseas-crisis.service.gov.uk.
Whitehall officials met on Thursday evening to discuss the incident and establish the facts, Prime Minister David Cameron said.Whitehall officials met on Thursday evening to discuss the incident and establish the facts, Prime Minister David Cameron said.
There have been allegations the plane - which crashed in an area controlled by Russian separatists - was shot down. He tweeted it had left him "shocked and saddened".
The British government has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the crash, the BBC's UN correspondent Nick Bryant said. There have been allegations the plane - which crashed near the village of Grabovo in an area controlled by Russian separatists - was shot down.
Ukraine's president has called the loss of the plane an "act of terrorism" as the separatist rebels denied shooting it down.
Leading airlines have announced they are now avoiding airspace surrounding eastern Ukraine.
The Department for Transport said flights that were already airborne were being routed around the area.
British Airways said the safety and security of its customers was its top priority.
It added: "Our flights are not using Ukrainian airspace, with the exception of our once a day service between Heathrow and Kiev.
"We are keeping those services under review, but Kiev is several hundred kilometres from the incident site."
Virgin Atlantic said it was re-routing "a small number of flights".