Flight MH17 was carrying 80 children when it was allegedly shot down and destroyed by Russian rebels on Thursday, July 17. The horrific incident killed all of the plane's passengers, including an entire Indonesian family and three Australian siblings who were on their way home, accompanied only by their grandfather. The plane's wreckage — including body parts of the passengers — reportedly spreads over a 9 mile area.
As more and more information about flight MH17 continues to be released, few details are more heartbreaking than the news that 80 children were aboard the doomed flight.
The flight was on it's way to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam when it was ripped from the sky by what the Daily Mail is referring to as a "sophisticated surface-to-air" missile.
Sadly, of the 298 passengers on board MH17, 80 innocent children lost their lives due to the malicious pro-Russian rebels launching an unwarranted attack on the flight.
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On Friday morning, July 18, United Nations Ambassador Samantha Powers teared up as she revealed that there were three passengers with an "I" next to their names on the manifest. They later found out that "I" stands for infant. No information about these three new lives lost has been released.
Of the 80 children lost, three beautiful Australian siblings were killed. Mo, 12, Otis, 8, & Evie Maslin, 10, were traveling home to Australia with their beloved grandfather, Nick Norris.
The family had been on vacation together in Amsterdam, and their parents decided to stay behind for a couple of days while their children and father went back home without them. Reports claim that the children needed to be back in time to start school, which is why they did not stay behind with their parents.
Family photos of the Maslin children show that they were three adorable dark blonde-haired siblings who were extremely playful. Otis, the youngest, seemed to enjoy making silly faces when posing in front of the camera.
There was also an Indonesian family of four who were killed, including two small children ages 3 and 5. John and Yuli Paulissen, plus their son and daughter, Martin & Sri, were traveling together on MH17 when it was shot down from the sky.
Information and photos of the other 75 children aboard MH17 has yet to be released.
Our thoughts go out to all of the families of the victims of flight MH17 during this devastating time.
– Lauren Cox
Follow @Iaurencox
