Kuala Lumpur: Ten-year-old Hans Singh Sandhu seems to have grown up overnight after his father Sanjid Singh Sandhu, a steward on board the ill-fated Flight MH17, was killed along with all 297 others on board when the jetliner was shot down in the eastern Ukraine.

"Your son is gone but I'm still here," Hans told his 71-year-old grandfather Jijar Singh. "I'm your son now and I will be the man of the house," the child was quoted as saying by Star newspaper. Recounting his telephone conversation with the boy, Jijar said his grandson consoled him.