From Twitter: The News Unfolds Of The AIDS Figures On Flight MH17

At a July 18 press conference at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, Vice President of Malaysia Airlines Europe Huib Gorter talk about the crash of flight MH17. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images hide caption
At a July 18 press conference at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, Vice President of Malaysia Airlines Europe Huib Gorter talk about the crash of flight MH17.
Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesThe AIDS world is reeling. Researchers, activists and officials were aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was shot out of the sky on Thursday; they were headed to the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne.
The nearly 300 passengers on the plane were all killed. Twitter users were among the first to report the loss of leading figures in the fight against AIDS, including Dutch researcher Joep Lange, former president of the International AIDS Society.
Here is how the story unfolded on Twitter.
What a HUGE loss to the world. Just learned that dear friend, amazing father to 5 girls and veteran AIDS researcher Joep Lange was on #MH17
— Dr. Seema Yasmin (@DoctorYasmin) July 17, 2014
Saddened to learn that my friend and @WHO staff who was traveling to @AIDS_conference to Melbourne was on flight #MH17. RIP #Glenn Thomas
— Haileyesus Getahun (@haileygetahun) July 17, 2014
There are reports that Joep Lange, a veteran #HIV/AIDS researcher from the Netherlands, was aboard MH17, en route to AIDS2014 in Melbourne.
— Martin Enserink (@martinenserink) July 17, 2014
Joep Lange was a leading AIDS researcher and clinician and an activist at heart. Lost today too soon on Malaysian flight 019. RIP
— Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) July 17, 2014
Jacqueline van Tongeren from AMC and Lucie van Mens from the Female Health Company were also on the plane. #MH17 #AIDS2014
— Aram Barra (@AramBarra) July 17, 2014
#AIDS2014 conference will be a sad place as news comes in of lost researchers, advocates, PLHIV on #MH17.
— Paul Kidd (@paulkidd) July 17, 2014
My thoughts & prayers to families of those tragically lost on flight #MH17. Many passengers were enroute to #AIDS2014 here in #Melbourne.
— Michel SidibĂ© (@MichelSidibe) July 17, 2014
President of International AIDS Society Joep Lange confirmed dead. What a shocking loss for the world. #MH17
— Kate Leaver (@kateileaver) July 17, 2014
The Melbourne International AIDS Conference has released a #MH17 statement to its website (via @political_alert) pic.twitter.com/Iy00Dz9iZx
— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) July 18, 2014
We lost one of our colleagues, Glenn Thomas, on the Malaysian Airlines #MH17 that crashed yesterday. He will be greatly missed #RIPGlennWHO
— WHO (@WHO) July 18, 2014
R.I.P. #MH17 #Melbourne #AIDS2014 pic.twitter.com/uqV6ouuLti
— Paul Kidd (@paulkidd) July 18, 2014