The Swiss chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has called for an impartial investigation into the circumstances of Thursday’s crash of a Malaysia Airlines plane over eastern Ukraine.

Didier Burkhalter, who is also Swiss foreign minister, expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the 298 passengers and crew of the plane which is believed to have been shot down north of Donetsk.

He welcomed an offer by representatives of separatists groups in eastern Ukraine to secure the site of the crash near the Russian border for rescue teams and investigators, according to a OSCE statement.

Burkhalter said the international organisation was ready to help Ukraine in the difficult rescue operation.

“Too many innocent civilians have already died in this conflict. It is the common responsibility of all to put security of the people first,” he said.

The Ukrainian army and rebels locked in a civil conflict have accused each other of shooting down the plane with a missile.

Most of the victims on board the plane flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur were Dutch, Malaysian and Australian nationals. The Swiss foreign ministry said it had no knowledge of Swiss passengers on board.

The crash site was being secured by representatives of separatist groups
(Reuters)