Malaysian Passenger Plane Wreckage First Reported on Social Media

Separatist post on Russian social media sites made claims of shooting down cargo plane moments before

Reports of the Malaysian passenger plane suspected of being shot down by air-to-surface missiles over the Ukraine and Russian border, first began to appear on social media Thursday.

People first posted wreckage of the downed Boeing 777 carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew members who departed from Amsterdam en route to Kuala Lumpur.

Graphic images of twisted metal, scorched earth, scattered luggage and maimed bodies began to appear on Twitter and various other social media sites.

A pro Russian separatist posted on a Russian social media site that his rebels had shot down a cargo plane, and moments later, images of the wreckage of Flight MH17 began to appear.

The post has since been removed and any involvement in the attack denied by the separatist.

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