Senators Express Sympathies to Countries Affected By Plane Crash

Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, on Friday, July 18, expressed sympathies to the countries affected by the crash of a Malaysian Airline on Thursday, July 17, on behalf of the Government.

“Most of the victims on that flight were from the Netherlands. They were the country most affected by this,” Senator Golding said, at a sitting of the Senate.

At least 298 people are presumed dead after the Malaysian Airline crashed in eastern Ukraine, close to the border with Russia.

Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was travelling over the region when it disappeared from radar. A total of 283 passengers and 15 crew members were on board.

For his part, Senator Navel Clarke also expressed deepest “sympathies and heartfelt sorrow” for what had taken place.

“It’s not necessarily a matter of national importance to us at this time. But, the fact that we are, as Jamaicans, a very nomadic people, we travel all over the world and this could have happened to anyone of our persons,” Senator Clarke said.

He also called on the international community to be “more assertive and be more effective” against terrorists.

“I believe the time has come for the international community to get tougher if there is such an opportunity,” Senator Clarke said.

Opposition Senator, Tom Tavares Finson, also expressed sympathies on behalf of the Opposition, while also calling on the international community to begin an “immediate investigation into the matter.”

Latest figures released by Malaysia Airlines show the plane was carrying 189 Dutch nationals, 27 Australians, 44 Malaysians (including 15 crew), 12 Indonesians and 10 Britons, along with a number of other nationalities.