Malaysia Airlines European flights to take alternative routes

Live reporting: Malaysian plane downed in Ukraine

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia Airlines said Friday in a statement that with immediate effect, all European flights operated by the company would be taking alternative routes avoiding the usual route.

It also said that "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."

While saying some of the nationalities of the passengers were yet to be determined, it gave a list of number of passengers and crew according to nationality.

According to the list, there were 154 people from the Netherlands, 43 (including 15 crew and two infants) from Malaysia, 27 from Australia, 12 (including one infant) from Indonesia, nine from Britain, four from Germany, four from Belgium, three from the Philippines, one from Canada, and 41 still unverified.

The company said its focus now was to "work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support to provide all possible care to the next-of-kin."

"Malaysia Airlines is deploying its 'Go Team' to Amsterdam with a group of caregivers and volunteers to assist the family members of the passengers," it added.