KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has clarified that 298 people were on board Flight MH17 that is believed to have been shot down over Ukraine, raising this from the 295 that it initially provided.

The airline also issued a preliminary list detailing the nationalities of those on board Flight MH17, which showed that Dutch passengers were the majority of those travelling on the plane.

In a statement issued to the Wall Street Journal, the Malaysian flag carrier also maintained that the plane’s flight path over the area currently being contested by Ukrainian loyalists and pro-Russian separatists had been green-lighted by International Civil Aviation Organisation and International Air Transportation Association.

Allegations continue to linger that MH17 was flying over the restive area of Ukraine in a bid to save fuel. MAS has booked billions of ringgit in losses in recent years owing to increased competition and an earlier air tragedy this year.

“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. Some of the nationalities of the passengers are yet to be determined,” the national flag carrier said.

MAS said it was currently in the process of notifying the families and next-of-kin of those on board MH17, some of whom are already at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) awaiting further information.

MH17 was believed to have been shot down over eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian militants yesterday, killing all 298 people aboard, a Ukrainian interior ministry official said.

MAS said air traffic controllers lost contact with MH17 as it flew over eastern Ukraine towards the Russian border, bound for Asia with 283 passengers and 15 crew aboard.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak earlier caled the incident as a “tragic day in a tragic year for Malaysians”, in reference to the loss of another MAS plane, the still-missing MH370, that disappeared on March 8 with 239 on board.