Seven Queenslanders among 27 Australians killed on Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 shot down over Ukraine

UPDATE: A pathologist and his wife have been identified as two of the seven Queenslanders who died in the MH17 crash.

SEVEN Queenslanders were on the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane shot down over Ukraine this morning.

Toowoomba pathologist Roger Guard and his wife Jill have been confirmed as two of the nine Queenslanders to die in the MH17 crash.

DOUBLE BLOW: Malaysian Airlines tragedy strikes Qld family twice

Burleigh local Helena Sidelik has also been confirmed by friends as among the dead.

Earlier, it was announced that nine Queenslanders had died but the Prime Minister’s office revised the figure to seven tonight.

Dr Guard, a long-time Queensland Health employee was due back at work on Monday and was returning from a European holiday with his wife.

The 68-year-old was an avid runner and member of the Toowoomba Road Runners group.

Dr Roger Guard.

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio said the community has lost a passionate and respected doctor.

Cr Antonio said while he was still waiting on absolute confirmation, it appeared Toowoomba hospital had lost its head of pathology.

“I know him by reputation. He’s highly respected and absolutely passionate about what he does for the community,” he said.

“The community is in shock that a conflict on the other side of the world could take away one of our great people and his wife.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and workmates.

“Everyone is very upset with what has happened and we share their grief.”

A Burleigh woman travelling home from a friend’s European wedding has been confirmed as a victim of the MH17 tragedy.

Burleigh local Helena Sidelik has been confirmed by friends as one of the nine Queenslanders to have died.

Helena Sidelik among the dead.

Ms Sidelik, aged in her late 50s, was on her way home after travelling to Amsterdam for a friend’s wedding.

Friends said she had an amazing time on her three week holiday but was looking forward to coming home.

She sent a final message to friends just before she boarded flight MH17.

Ms Sidelik was due back at work next week.

Friends said she was a “great girl” with a huge heart.

She moved to the Gold Coast from Melbourne four years ago and fell in love with Burleigh.

Premier Campbell Newman said he had spoken to the Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop after waking to the shocking

news that flight MH17 had been shot down with 298 people on board.

“It is believed that nine of the people who’ve lost their lives were our fellow Queenslanders,” the Premier said.

“The nationalities on board are not totally established and so the numbers I stress may change, they may be higher.”

TERROR STRIKE: 298 die as airliner shot down

VICTIMS: Lost souls on flight MH17

WHY? MH17 was flying over war-torn province

He said he felt “shocked, outraged, dismayed and deeply saddened” by the news, made more confronting by the fact his own daughter had flown that route just 18-hours before.

Sarah arrived home from London at midday yesterday on Thai Airways.

His other daughter Rebecca flew with Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam in March.

Premier says he was shocked, outraged dismayed and deeply saddened by #mh17 crash. pic.twitter.com/x97kTA67yh

— Robyn Ironside (@ironsider) July 18, 2014

“What I want to say today is that my thoughts and prayers are with all Queenslanders who’ve been touched by this tragedy and in this small state there will be many people who’ve lost loved ones,” Mr Newman said.

“The impacts will be far reaching across our state, so my thoughts are with them and my deepest condolences are with them and my point this morning is that we must reach out to them.”

He said those who’ve lost loved ones could expect every assistance from the State Government.

Mr Newman would not comment on the likely international political fallout from the crash and any impact on the G20 Leaders summit. Russian president Vladimir Putin is expected to attend along with US president Barack Obama.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk has called on Australia to bar any nation involved with the downing of flight MH17 from this year’s G20.

“We need to find out exactly who was responsible for this and if anyone is responsible for this, they should not be welcome in Brisbane for the G20,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“If there is any country found to have responsibility for what has happened to MH17, they should not be welcome to Brisbane, full stop.”

She said she wished to offer her prayers and thoughts to all those involved in the tragedy.

“Tonight, there will be nine families grieving for their loved ones,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“This should simply not be happening in this day and age and whoever is responsible must face the full international condemnation of this horrendous attack.

“To fly around countries is our right and for this to happen is simply a tragedy.”

The names of the Queensdland victims have not been released.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was en-route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur and was eventually bound for Perth. Twenty-seven Australians were among the 298 passengers and crew who perished.

The Ukrainian government said the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

Malaysia Airlines said it had “lost contact” with flight MH17, 30km from the Tamak waypoint, 50km from the Russian-Ukraine border after 12am AEST. The plane came down near the town of Shaktarsk, in the Donetsk region.

The Boeing 777 flew out of Amsterdam at 6.15am and was blown up three hours later. Body parts and wreckage were spread over a 9km area in the rebel-held area nears the Russian border.

A Victorian couple who perished were not scheduled to be on the doomed flight.

Albert and Marie Rizk, of Sunbury, were due to return home today after spending a month holidaying in Europe.

A friend of the Rizk’s said they were holidaying with two friends, who caught an earlier flight which the Rizk’s missed.

Elaine Teoh.

Fears are also held for fellow passenger Melbourne University student Elaine Teoh.

Perth man Nick Norris and his grandchildren were also on the flight, according to reports.

Authorities believe a “significant number” of those on board — thought to be as many as 100 — were headed to Melbourne for the 20th International AIDS Conference.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed the plane was carrying 27 Australians but warned that the toll could be higher as the nationalities of some passengers were unconfirmed.

She said the plane was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur to Perth, with a connecting flight to Melbourne from KL.

She said Australian officials were seeking permission to access the crash site in rebel-held eastern Ukraine.

She said Australia would demand a full, independent international inquiry into the crash, amid reports Russian separatists have taken the plane’s black box.