A Ukrainian miner says that at the time of the Malaysian Airlines disaster, he saw a white trail shoot into the sky from the ground, then heard an explosion and 20 seconds later saw smoke rising in the distance. Andrey Tarasenko said he and friend were walking home from work with a friend when it happened. "You know how you see a trail from a plane? It was the same, but it was a missile launched from the ground," Tarasenko said. Claims that the plane was shot down have not been confirmed by authorities.
Tarasenko estimated he was 10 miles from the Boeing 777's crash site. He never saw the plane, which was carrying 298 people from Amsterdam to Malaysia, in the sky. His friend shot video of the crash aftermath and posted it to YouTube:
IN-DEPTH
- Malaysia Airlines Jet Crashes in Ukraine
- Radar Wouldn't Have Warned of Missile Strike
- U.S. Ban on Ukraine Skies Didn't Cover Crash Site