MH17 crash: Passengers on Malaysia Airlines plane in Ukraine

A prominent Aids researcher, a young family on a journey back to Indonesia and tourists looking forward to holidays in the sun were among the 298 people who perished when MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine. There were thought to be 80 children on board. Malaysia Airlines has published a full passenger manifest., external

Here are some of their stories.

The businessman was accompanying the children to the Australian city of Perth, where they were due to resume school. The children's parents, Rin Norris and Anthony Maslin, were not travelling with them.

Mr Norris's son, Brack, told ABC News, external that the children were "intelligent kids" who "loved doing their sports, like surfing and that kind of thing".

Mr Norris had been a member of the South of Perth Yacht Club. A fellow member of the club, interviewed by Fairfax Radio, described him as "just a lovely bloke" who was "always happy to have a chat".

The German citizen was due to join her parents, who have been living in the city for seven years, the Perth Now news website reports.

Ms Dyczynski was the founder of Xoterra Space, a high-tech start-up based in The Netherlands. The firm's website described her as "brightly outspoken, ambitious and incredibly motivated".

Liam Sweeney's father, Barry, described his son as a "tremendous bloke". He said: "Football was his life, it was all he talked about."

Newcastle United said Mr Alder had been a lifelong supporter and a familiar sight in the stands for almost half a century.

The club's managing director, Lee Charnley, and its manager, Alan Pardew, have spoken of their shock and paid tribute to the supporters' dedication.

The Dutch man was off on holiday with his girlfriend Neeljte Tol when he put up a picture of his plane on Facebook - a moment of black humour - with the caption:

"If my flight to Malaysia disappears, this is what it looks like"

His friends responded by wishing him happy holidays but as news broke of the plane crash their communications on his Facebook page betrayed increasing concern which turned to immense sadness.

Ms Hastini, 44, her Dutch husband, John Paulisen, 47, and their two children: a little boy, Arjuna, 5 and a girl, Sri, 3 would visit her family in her hometown of Solo in Central Java every two years during the Eid holiday.

Her brother-in-law told BBC Indonesian that she worked for a pharmaceutical company in the Netherlands.

But she had been heartbroken that she could not attend her mother's funeral late last year so during this trip the entire family was planning to visit her mother's grave.

Known as Frankie, the 54-year-old teacher is described by the head of the college she taught at as "an inspiration to all who came in contact with her".

She taught literature and humanities at Toorak College in Victoria and is described as a "dear friend; warm generous and kind".

It was an extraordinary twist of fate, as his wife, also a flight attendant, had switched from Malaysian jet MH370 which vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March with 239 passengers on board, according to a report in The Malaysian Insider, external.

Sanjid Singh lived with his wife and their seven-year-old son in Kuala Lumpur.

"He was last here [in Penang] about a month ago. He told us recently that he swapped with a colleague for the return Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur flight," his father Jijar Singh told the newspaper.

Mr Singh said his son had been expected to visit them after his return from Amsterdam.

"His mother had prepared all his favourite dishes," he said.

Steward swapped to fly on crash jet

The 20th International Aids Society conference was set to kick off in Melbourne, Australia.

Aboard MH17 were at least six passengers making their way there. Among them was Joep Lange, one of the previous presidents of IAS, described as one of the most brilliant minds in research.

The IAS put a statement out saying that if reports that such numbers were on board were true "this is truly a sad day" and if Joep Lange's death was confirmed "the movement has truly lost a giant".

On Twitter, several colleagues paid tribute to Mr Lange.

Dr Seema Yasmin recalled a friend who was devoted to his five daughters and tweeted, external that: "People like Joep change the course of epidemics."

Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of medical research charity the Wellcome Trust said: "Joep was a great clinical scientist, and a great friend of the Wellcome Trust."

Mr Lange's partner Jacqueline van Tongeren was also on board with him.

Aids researchers on crashed plane

He was a media officer for the World Health Organization in Geneva. Originally from the UK, the 49-year old was one of nine Britons who died in the crash.

He was also a former BBC journalist. Colleagues and friends have paid tribute to Mr Thomas on Twitter describing their horror and devastation.

Peter Horrocks, the director of the BBC's World Service Group, said in an email to staff that he had been known as a "calm, kind and thoroughly professional individual - he will be missed. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this terrible time".

WHO confirms Glenn Thomas killed on MH17

The family of the 31-year-old flight attendant told local media that she died doing the job she loved.

"She went through so many interviews to finally land this job," her father is reported as saying, adding she had been with the airline for the last nine years.

He said she was single but hoping to get married soon and that she thought this month was special somehow.

Her uncle described her, the eldest of four children, as a happy character.

The 56-year-old, who usually returned to Indonesia three times a year, was heading back to her home town in Central Java.

There she was planning to celebrate the end of Ramadan with her extended family, including her 86-year-old mother.

Colleagues at a restaurant in Eindhoven where she had worked posted a tribute to her online: "Ninik we will miss you, your bright smile and your warm heart. You were an angel on earth, who is now in heaven."

The dog breeder's relatives said they were "desperately sad" to confirm he was on the plane, adding: "Rob was our everything.

"We adored him and there was no-one else like him. He touched so many hearts and lives. We are grateful to forever have him in our hearts."

His family also released an image of Mr Ayley with his wife Sharlene, saying the pair were "soulmates".

"Rob will live forever in his family," they said.

Mr Allen was described as a "much-loved colleague" with many talents by his friends at international law firm NautaDutilh, where he had worked for 18 years and where he became a partner in 2007.

The tribute went on to say that he was a "kind, down-to-earth and humorous man and many of us have also lost a friend. He will be dearly missed".

The family, who lived in Luxembourg, had been on their way to Malaysia for a holiday.

"Andrew was born and bred in Somerset and was a greatly loved member of a large family," said Mr Hoare's brother Hugo.

"He was a warm, funny and wonderful man whose smile and character lit up a room. Estella was beautiful, intelligent, spoke five languages fluently and had a very infectious laugh.

"Jasper had a brilliant young mind and Friso was a talented musician and peacemaker.

"They made frequent visits to both the Netherlands and England to keep in touch with all branches of the family and friends. Family was everything to them and they will all be terribly missed."

Born in Semarang, Indonesia, in 1940, Jane Adi Soetjipto made annual visits to the Netherlands to see her mother and siblings who lived there.

Among others killed was Willem Witteveen, a Dutch senator. The politician was on the flight with his wife and daughter.

Another was identified only as "Supartini", a 39-year-old Indonesian woman who had been a domestic worker in The Hague for several years.

British passengers also believed to have died in the tragedy include:

Total: 298