Dutch PM returning to Netherlands after Malaysian plane downed in Ukraine

AMSTERDAM, July 17 (Reuters) - The Dutch prime minister is on his way back to the Netherlands from a summit in Brussels after a Malaysia Airlines plane that took off from Amsterdam was downed in Ukraine, he said in a statement on Thursday.

"I am deeply shocked by the dramatic reports on the crash of of Malaysia Airlines MH17," he said, noting that he had been in touch with Ukraine's president. Tour operators have told local media they had booked dozens of Dutch citizens onto the flight.

"Much is still unclear about the facts, circumstances and the passengers," he said of the flight, which is listed on flight-tracking websites as sharing planes on some routes with Dutch national airline KLM.

(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Louise Ireland)