German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday expressed her grief for all the victims of the crash and extended her sympathy to the families of the victims killed in the Malaysian passenger plane crash.

Steffen Seiber, the government's spokesman, said Merkel was shocked by the crash of a Malaysian passenger aircraft over the eastern Ukraine.

He said Merkel was also shocked by the alleged circumstances under which the airplane might be shot down from a great height.

If this message proves to be true, it may represent another tragic escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to Merkel.

Angela Merkel called for an immediate and independent investigation into the cause of the crash.

The Malaysia Airlines MH17 passenger plane crashed Thursday in Ukraine near the Russian border, with all the 280 passengers and 15 crew members on board reportedly having been killed.