Malaysia Airlines MH17 shot down over Ukraine: 28 Australians among 298 dead

INFORMATION released by the Prime Minister’s office reveals that in addition to the 28 Australians there were also nine permanent residents on MH17.

DETAILS have emerged of the Australians whose lives were taken in the tragic demise of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down by a missile over rebel-held Ukraine on Thursday.

The fifth NSW victim has just been identified as Victor Oreshkin from Lidcombe in Sydney’s west. Believed to be in his 30s, Victor was returning home from a five week trip to Europe.

A devoutly religious man, he attended the Lidcombe Slavic Evangelical Pentecostal Church where he was involved in the ministry.

Church pastor and family friend, Alexander Minchenko, said: “He was a really big part of the church so we really feel for his parents as well as for Victor.

“He was really loved by everyone so it was a big shock for all of us.”

Victor’s parents had travelled to Sydney airport to pick him up from his trip, but he never arrived. Instead they received a heartbreaking call from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Victor Oreshkin from Lidcombe in Sydney’s west was returning from a five week European trip.

The Prime Minister’s office has just revealed that in addition to the 28 Australians there were also eight Permanent Residents on board flight MH17, all who resided in Victoria.

Reports have emerged of a Melbourne family of five who were travelling on Dutch and Malaysian passports.

Hans van den Hende, his wife, Shaliza Dewa, and their boys, Piers, 15, and Marnix, 12, and daughter Margaux, 8, were on the tragic flight according to the Herald Sun.

The family lived in Eynesbury, a tight-knit community in a new estate 40km west of Melbourne.

Howard and Susan Horder from Queensland.

It’s also been revealed that 25-year-old Jack O’Brien from NSW, who had been holidaying in Europe, was on the MH17 flight. His family have released a statement to the media, saying, “The life of our beloved son and brother, Jack, has been ended so suddenly”.

“We are devastated at his loss, as are Jack’s extended family and friends. Jack, just 25 years old, was returning from a fantastic seven week holiday in Europe. He was loved so much.”

Sydney victim of MH17, Jack O'Brien, who was 25-years-old.

It’s also been revealed that a Queensland man who died in the Malaysia Airlines tragedy joked about not returning from his European holiday, the Courier Mail reports.

Before leaving Brisbane, 63-year-old retiree Howard Horder quipped that he was flying with Malaysia Airlines and only needed a one-way ticket, his brother says.

It was a reference to the baffling disappearance of MH370 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March.

“I spoke to him two days before he went on his holiday and he said he was flying with Malaysia Airlines,’’ Glenn Horder said.

“I said, `Jeez really?’ and he said, `Yes, I only bought a one-way ticket’, but he was joking.

“He did buy a return ticket, but that’s just my brother’s sense of humour.

“He just said that because the other flight didn’t come back.’’

Other Queensland victims have been identified as Theresa and Wayne Baker.

The couple, who had two sons, are understood to have based themselves on the Sunshine Coast.

While Burleigh resident Helena Sidelik, aged in her late 50s, sent a final message to friends just before she boarded flight MH17, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

Edel Mahady was returning home to WA on flight MH17

Perth resident Edel Mahady, 50, was also among the 28 Australians to perish on the doomed passenger jet.

Mrs Mahady was an Irish woman returning home to Perth for the start of the school term at Good Sheppard Catholic Primary School in Kelmscott, where she worked as an administrator.

Mrs Mahady’s husband and two children did not go on the trip, and a source told the Irish Independent that they were “devastated” and “numb with shock and grief.”

West Australian agricultural researcher Arjen Ryder, 54, and his wife Yvonne have also been confirmed as among the 28 Australians aboard the flight.

A supplied picture of Edel Mahady. Edel was on board flight MH17 that was shot down over the Ukraine.

Arjen and Yvonne Ryder, of Kalgan, near Albany in Western Australia, were on flight MH17 that was shot down over the Ukraine.

Mr Ryder fought salinity for 30 years and helped rehabilitate thousands of hectares of land with the Department of Agriculture and Food WA.

It is understood the Albany couple, who will leave behind three children, were returning from a visit to the Netherlands, where Mr Ryder had family.

Mrs Ryder’s sister Anne Trudgeon told PerthNow she had a lost a “beautiful” sister and brother-in-law.

“Words cannot express the grief we are going through,” she said.

“We love them very much. I will miss them. May God give us strength to get through this.”

Mr Ryder was due to return to work at the department on Monday when he was to receive a special award for 30 years of service as a senior technical officer.

Three people from the Northern Territory, including a teacher from a young outback community, are confirmed as having died in the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster.

Maningrida College homelands teacher Emma Bell.

Emma Bell, originally from Lithgow in the NSW Blue Mountains, moved to the Top End last year to teach in the remote community of Maningrida, 500kms east of Darwin.

Miss Bell was flying back home from her European holiday in time for the start of the new school term.

Her colleagues in the tight-knit community were devastated as condolence messages began to circulate in Maningrida yesterday morning.

It is understood the NT Education Department has spoken to Ms Bell’s family.

Chief Minister Adam Giles said the NT Government was working with Consular officials, and the NT Police Disaster Victim Identification staff remained on standby if needed to assist with identifications.

“This is truly reprehensible and unspeakable criminal act and on behalf of all Territorians, I wish to express my condolences to all the families and friends of the victims, particularly the Territory families involved,” Mr Giles said.

“This is a sad and sorry day for our country and all nations affected.”

An unidentified NT public servant and her husband are also believed to have been on board the doomed flight.

Also flying back for the start of the new school term were three Perth children.

Mo, 12, Evie, 10, and Otis Maslin, 8 were on the final leg of their trip-of-a-lifetime with their grandfather, Nick Norris.

Mo, Otis and Evie Norris

Supplied picture of Nick Norris. Nick was on board flight MH17 that was shot down over the Ukraine.

The children’s parents, who did not travel with them, are said to be devastated.

Mr Norris, a well-known sailor and member of the South Perth Yacht Club, is the managing director of Collaborative Systemic Change Pty Ltd. He leaves behind a wife.

Sydney nun Sister Philomene Tiernan with the Sisters of the Sacred Heart at Kincoppal-Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart is also among the dead.

“This has come as an enormous shock to me and our school community as I am sure it will to all of you,” the school’s principal, Hilary Johnston-Croke, wrote to parents today.

“I heard from Phil yesterday morning and she told me that she had left Joigny, where she had been attending a retreat, in Paris while there, she saw Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat in her caisse at St Francis Xavier Church, which was a very special moment for her.

“Phil was a very much loved staff member and friend. She contributed greatly to our community and she touched the lives of all at KRB in such a positive and meaningful way.”

Kincoppal – Rose Bay School has confirmed that Sister Philomene Tiernan, 77 (pictured left), was a passenger on Malaysian Airline Flight MH17.

Also from NSW are retired couple Michael and Carol Clancy, believed to be in their 60s, who were returning from a three-week European holiday.

Carol Clancy’s devastated daughter Jane Malcolm fought back tears as she tried to comprehend why someone would want to hurt her mother.

“(Michael) had recently retired and they were going overseas for a big trip and we found out this morning it had been shot down,” Ms Malcolm said.

“It hasn’t sunk in,” she said.

“It’s something that happens to other people, not something that happens to you.

“I spoke to them at Sydney Airport, they were excited about leaving a couple of weeks ago. It’s really hard to image someone wanting to hurt them.”

Mrs Clancy taught at Lakelands Public School and Fig Tree Public School.

Michael and Carol Clancy, killed on Flight MH17. Photo: Anna Fitzgerald.

Student Elaine Teoh.

Frankie Davison and her husband Liam.

Also among the dead are 27-year-old Melbourne University student Elaine Teoh, Victorian couple Albert and Marie Rizk and Toorak teacher Frankie Davison and her husband Liam. Other Victorians not to make it home were Gerry and Mary Menke and Marco Grippeling, 48. He had been holidaying with his wife in Netherlands before boarding Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. His wife Angela reportedly returned home on an earlier flight.

Toowoomba pathologist Dr Roger Guard, his GP wife Jill, and Gold Coast woman Helena Sidelik have been confirmed as three of the nine Queenslanders to die in the MH17 crash.

Mother-of-two Liliane Derden, 50, was one of 28 Australians who were among the 298 passengers aboard the flight from Amsterdam that was shot down near the Ukraine and Russian border.

Canberra mother-of-two Liliane Derden, 50, from Hall in Canberra’s north, was on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 when it crashed in rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine.

She worked for the National Health and Medical Research Council whose staff expressed deep sadness at the loss of a valued colleague and friend.

ACT acting chief minister Andrew Barr said the tragedy was devastating news for Ms Derden’s family and friends.

A New Zealand woman, a long-time resident of Australia, was travelling with her husband, a Danish citizen, is also believed to have been on the flight.

Helena Sidelik was on her way home from a friend’s wedding in Europe when she perished on Flight MH17

Pathologist Dr Roger Guard (above) and his GP wife Jill (below) were also on board the flight

Queenslanders Dr Jill Guard (above) and her pathologist husband Roger Guard were also on board the flight.

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 Herald Sun reports that Mr and Mrs Rizk, from Sunbury, missed an earlier flight and ended up on the doomed MH17.

Jack Ogilvie, a friend of the Rizks, said: “I’m in shock. He was one of the best blokes to have a beer with.

“We were actually looking after his son while they were away, making sure he was eating the right things, that sort of thing.”

Albert Rizk (left) and his wife Marie (second from right) were believed to have been travelling on Flight MH17. Picture: Adam Elwood

The number of Australian passengers on board MH17 has been confirmed as 28, including nine from Queensland, nine from Victoria, seven from WA, one from NSW and one from the ACT.

One of the victims is a dual Australian citizen, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has confirmed.

In an address to Parliament, Mr Abbott reached out to the families affected by the crash.

“Our hearts go out to the families of all the dead,” he said.

“We can’t restore them to life but we can and will do everything to support them at this sad and bitter time, because that is the Australian way; we help in times of trouble.”

Another victim was 24-year old Fatima Dyczynski, who was flying to Perth to meet her parents and begin a new life in Australia, PerthNow reports.

A supplied picture of Fatima Dyczynski.

Ms Dyczynski’s parents Angela and George were waiting for their daughter at Perth Airport this afternoon and hoping against hope that she was still alive.

The couple, who have lived in Perth for the past seven years said they last spoke to their daughter via Skype moments before she boarded the aircraft.

Ms Dyczynski said it was her daughter’s dream to return to Australia after spending one year as a student at Perth’s John XXIII College in Year 11.

“It was all that she wanted,” she said.

Ms Dyczynski, an Aerospace Engineer, was returning to Perth for an internship with IBM.

A family member cries as she receives the news of the ill fated flight MH17 on the phone. Picture: Rahman Roslan

Meanwhile, distressed family members of relatives who were on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that was shot down in east Ukraine are expressing their anger and grief over the devastating news.

Akmar Mohd Noor wept as she explained her sister was on board the flight to visit her family.

“She was coming back from Geneva to celebrate with us for the first time in 30 years,” she said.

The names of the 15 crew members on board the flight has been revealed as family members gathered in Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam airports, growing increasingly restless waiting for official information.

Malaysian news source Sin Chew released the names including its two Captains and Vice-Captains.

Malaysia Airlines revised the number of passengers travelling on flight MH17 from 295 to 298 people, while releasing further information of its passenger manifest.

Its latest announcement states: “As opposed to the earlier statement, the flight was carrying a total number of 298 people — comprising 283 passengers including three infants of various nationalities and 15 crew of Malaysian nationality. Some of the nationalities of the passengers are yet to be determined.”

Screengrab of the crew members on MH17’s passenger manifest.

According to the airline’s passenger list, the majority of the 283 passengers were Dutch (154), while 45 passengers were Malaysian, followed by 28 Australians.

Vision of an Australian passport found among the wreckage was aired on Russian television.

There were also 12 Indonesian, nine British, four German, four Belgian, three from the Philippines and one from Canada.

Fifteen crew members were also on board, all Malaysian nationals. It is believed all 298 passengers perished in the crash.

Three infants were on board.

Malaysia Airlines said it was in the process of notifying the relatives of passengers and crew.

“Our focus now is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support to provide all possible care to the next-of-kin,” the airline said in a statement.

“Malaysia Airlines is deploying its “Go Team” to Amsterdam with a group of caregivers and volunteers to assist the family members of the passengers.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members.”

MORE: RUSSIAN REBELS ‘LIKELY RESPONSIBLE’ FOR MH17 CRASH

MORE: GRIM COINCIDENCE? MH17 VANISHES MONTHS AFTER MH370

Earlier, it emerged that leading AIDS researcher Joep Lange was among more than 100 passengers who were on their way to Melbourne to attend the 20th International AIDS Conference. Mr Lange was president of the International AIDS Society.

Joep Lange is Professor of Medicine, Head of the Department of Global Health, at the Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam

“The International AIDS Society (IAS) today expresses its sincere sadness at receiving news that a number of colleagues and friends en route to attend the 20th International AIDS Conference taking place in Melbourne, Australia, were on board the Malaysian Airlines MH17 flight that has crashed over Ukraine earlier today,” the IAS said in a statement.

“At this incredibly sad and sensitive time the IAS stands with our international family and sends condolences to the loved ones of those who have been lost to this tragedy.”

In an interview with 3AW’s Neil Mitchell, Mr Abbott described the incident as an “unspeakable crime”.

“This is a grim, grim day,” he said.

“If I could first of all offer my deepest condolences of passengers and families on this plane.

If you are unable to contact family members and still hold concerns for their welfare, you should call DFAT’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on + 61 2 6261 3305 from overseas, or within Australia on 1300 555 135.