Siberian Jew was on board 'crashed' Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777-200

Nikolai Brotzky, a 43 year old father of two from Siberia, was named on Sunday as having been on the aircraft that was lost over the South China Sea. 

The flight was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when all radio contact was lost. The jet carried 227 passengers from 14 countries, mainly China and Malaysia, and a crew of 12, all Malaysian nationals, the carrier said in a statement.

Jewish news sites tonight today named Brotzky, describing him as an active member of the local community. Rabbi Aharon Cohen Wagner, Irkutsk's Chief Rabbi and a Chabad rabbi for the region, has been in constant touch with Brotzky's family since the plane was reported missing.

A report from israelnationalnews.com said: 'Rabbi Wagner has been in touch with Russia's Chief Rabbi Bernard Lazar, discussing the halachic (Jewish legal) implications of Brotzky's disappearance. If the crash site isn't located or his body isn't found, rabbinic authorities will have to work to ensure his wife does not remain an aguna - a halachic status applying to women who wish to remarry but cannot, an issue can occur in such tragedies where the husband's death cannot be formally confirmed.'

Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore launched a joint search operation, but have not found any traces of the missing jet so far, reported Xinhua news agency.

The Malaysian government has contacted anti-terrorism authorities around the world as it seeks to explain what happened to the aircraft. The airline warned families to prepare for the worst two days after the plane went missing. No traces of the wreckage has been confirmed as yet. 

At least two passengers were travelling on stolen passports, it has been established.