Welsh Tributes Paid To Air Crash Victims

18 July 2014, 17:15 | Updated: 18 July 2014, 17:19

Heart has been speaking to friends of those killed in the Malaysia Airlines crash.

47 year old Glenn Thomas from Blackpool is among a number of Britons who died when MH17 came down in Ukraine on Thursday.

Wayne Crocker and Glenn had been friends for more than 20 years after meeting at Bangor University.

Wayne told Heart: "You just can't believe that something as worldwide in terms of the impact is happening to someone you know, someone you've spent a lot of time with, someone you have a long history with".

He says it's hard to come to terms with Glenn's death: "Normally I'd go home, I'd look at Glenn's Facebook page to see what he's up to - now I know that's not going to happen.

"Although that person isn't physically close to you - in terms of where they live - you still have a bond because you get to see what they're up to and that's not going to happen any more"

"He had an incredible smile, an infectious laugh and was very passionate about coming from Blackpool.

"He was a Blackpool boy, he was from Lancashire and had a very strong northern accent and was very proud to come from that part of the world."

It's as the Malaysian community in Wales are coming to terms with what's happened.

It's just 5 months since a Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared over the southern India Ocean.

Dhiya Aizat is from Kuala Lumpur but is studying at Cardiff University: "With the recent MH370 crisis and suddenly another thing happens.

"I felt so shocked, I would say for an hour I couldn't move because I felt like 'why did this happen to Malaysia Airlines, why did this happen to us'"

"Whoever did this to us, to Malaysia Airlines, to the people on board - they have to be responsible.

"They haven't just cost them the chance to live but cost all of the people who are waiting for them at the airport, waiting for their presence, waiting for their faces."