Rouhani Condoles with Malaysia over Plane Crash Disaster

(FNA)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani extended his condolences to the Malaysian government and nation on the sad occasion of the death of the country's nationals in a recent plane crash.

In a message addressed to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razzak, President Rouhani voiced Tehran's condolence with the Malaysian people and government over the death of a group of Malaysians in a passenger plane which crashed Russia-Ukraine border on Thursday.

"The news on the downing of the Malaysian passenger plane deeply depressed me," President Rouhani said in his message, adding, "I sincerely condole with Your Excellency and the noble Malaysian nation on the death of innocent passenger and flight crews of this plane in the sad incidence."

A Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing-777 with over 290 people on board crashed in Ukraine, close to the border with Russia.

Malaysia Airlines lost contact with the plane when it was flying over Ukrainian soil, RT reported.

The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Geraschenko confirmed the plane carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew members fell.

The passenger plane was expected to enter Russian airspace at 5:20 p.m. local time on Thursday, but never did.

Residents reported finding debris from a plane, which they said could belong to the Malaysian Boeing. They said that several dozen dead passengers have been found.

Groups that are fighting Kiev’s forces in Eastern Ukraine have rejected any involvement in the incident, as there are reports that the plane was shot down.

The Donetsk People’s Republic claims its self-defense forces simply don’t have such military equipment. Donetsk People's Republic PM Aleksandr Boroday has called the incident a “provocation by the Ukrainian military".

“We confirm that the plane crashed not far from Donetsk,” Boroday said. “Representatives of Donetsk People's Republic have headed to the scene of the plane search."

"Self-defense forces have no air-defense, which could target transport aircraft at that height,” he said.

“We have only MANPADs (portable anti-aircraft missile complex) which hit targets at 3-4 kilometers,” Sergey Kavtaradze, representative for Donetsk People’s Republic PM, also told journalists.

Russia’s military also says none of its military planes have been flying close to the Russia-Ukraine border on Thursday, RIA Novosti reported citing a military official.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has not ruled out that a Malaysian plane has been shot down.