Updated 17.40
It has been confirmed that an Irish-born citizen was among the victims on Malaysian Airlines flight MH17.
It is understood the woman is a native of Dublin, but had been living in Australia for some years.
Foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan says he has spoken to the family of the victim to offer his condolences.
"Sadly, we have learned that one Irish-born citizen was on board the flight to Kuala Lumpur. On behalf of the Government and people of Ireland, I would like to convey deepest sympathies to her family, both in Ireland and in Australia, who have suffered this sudden and devastating loss" he said.
"Ireland fully supports calls for a full, independent international investigation to establish the cause of this grave tragedy and to ensure that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice. I encourage all the authorities involved - and the parties to the conflict in Ukraine - to work together, to ensure that the hundreds of families who have been bereaved can get the answers they need" he added.
The US President Barack Obama has said the Malaysian Airliner was shot down.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington, he said his thoughts are with the families and countries of those who died.
He said that Russia, Pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine must adhere to an immediate ceasefire to facilitate the investigation.
Mr Obama says he believes a surface-to-air missile caused the crash.
The United Nations Security Council is now calling for a 'full, thorough and independent international investigation' into a Malaysian airliner that crashed killing nearly 300 people.
The Council is also urging 'appropriate accountability'.
The UN Secretary-General says he is alarmed at - what he calls - "seemingly credible reports" suggesting the passenger plane was shot down over Ukraine.
Obama: Evidence indicates the plane was shot down
Meanwhile Ukrainian authorities are blaming rebel forces for bringing the aircraft down. But Moscow is pointing the finger at Kiev - claiming it picked up radar activity from a Ukrainian missile system.
It came as 80 children were confirmed among the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was brought down over Ukraine.
Could the plane tragedy be a game changer for Ukraine?
Glenn Thomas (49) from Blackpool, was among 100 delegates reportedly on their way to the International Aids Society (IAS) summit in Melbourne, Australia.
Friends spoke of their shock and loss of the media officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva.
WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said "We have lost a wonderful person and a great professional. Our hearts are broken. We are all in shock".
Some of the great minds in the fight against HIV and Aids were heading to the conference, including, it is understood, Dr Joep Lange, a well-known researcher from the Netherlands.
"If this is the case then the HIV/Aids movement has truly lost a giant" the IAS said.
Family 'shaken' after missing doomed flight MH17
Among the 283 passengers and 15 Malaysia Airlines cabin crew on board were 173 Dutch nationals, 44 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, nine Britons, four Germans, four Belgians, three Filipinos, one Canadian and a New Zealander.
Row grows over responsibility
The UN demand for an invrstigastion comes as the row over who was responsible intensified.
A preliminary intelligence report has concluded the missile was launched from inside Ukraine and fired by separatists, according to a senior US source.
European observers have now arrived at the scene of the crash. They say they will be doing anything they can to offer dignity in death to the victims.
UN has called for a "full, thorough and independent international investigation"
In one unverified video, apparently taken moments after the plane was hit, a man thought to be a pro-Russian rebel boasts "Wow, that was a blast."
Passenger posted photo of doomed jet on Facebook
Pro-Russian separatists said they found one of the "black box" recorders and rescue workers have recovered a second flight recorder.
Reporter Robert Nisbet says the first black box recorder which was found has been sent to Moscow for analysis:
But the Russian defence ministry reportedly pointed the finger at its neighbour, saying it picked up radar activity from a Ukrainian Buk missile system south of Donetsk when the aircraft came down.
The plane, a Boeing 777, was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of 33,000 feet when contact was lost on Thursday afternoon, close to the border with Russia.
It came down near the village of Grabovo, Donetsk, in an area where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the rebels.
An adviser to Kiev's interior ministry said the plane was hit by a ground-to-air missile in what Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko described as an "act of terrorism".
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called for a ceasefire between the warring sides in the months-long conflict, said "The state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility".
But Ukraine's security service released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.
The cockpit and one of the turbines were found over half a mile apart, and residents said the tail was six miles away, indicating the aircraft most likely broke up before hitting the ground.
Many of the bodies strewn across the fields were largely intact, some of them still strapped into their seats. People who live in the area have described seeing bodies falling through the sky.
Pro-Russian separatists said they found one of the "black box" recorders, while rescue workers have recovered a second flight recorder.
Malaysia Airlines, still reeling from the loss of flight MH370, has said the route taken by flight MH17 had been declared safe by civil aviation authorities.
It has set up an emergency line, 00-6-037-884-1234, for worried relatives.
