In scenes reminiscent of the MH370 disaster four months ago, sobbing relatives of passengers travelling on Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 have gathered at airports in Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur to learn the fate of their missing loved ones. Clutching the side of an escalator for support, one man weeps after finding out the fate of his relative at an information point set up at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, where the doomed plane took off from at lunchtime today. At Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where flight MH 17 was due to land shortly after 6am local time on Friday morning, women cry into tissues as they hear about the fate of their loved ones.
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Relatives gathered at airports in Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur
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Nine Britons and 27 Australians were among those on board, according to Dutch authorities
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Fears that up to 23 Americans could have been on Malaysian Airlines flight
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Plane was shot down over territory held by Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine
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A tearful couple, who had loved ones on board flight @placeholder, hold on to each other for support as they leave Schiphol airport on Thursday evening