SKY NEWS HAS apologised after one of its reporters rifled through the luggage of a MH17 passenger live on air.

In the clip, Colin Brazier picks up a set of keys and points towards a toothbrush in the luggage, which has been split open, before saying:

We shouldn’t really be doing this, I suppose, really.

https://vine.co/v/M2WLQjDuOhA

The clip was widely criticised on social media for insensitivity towards the victims of the disaster. A total of 298 people died when the plane was shot down over Ukraine.

In a statement, Sky News said it was sorry for any offence caused.

“Today whilst presenting from the site of the MH17 air crash Colin Brazier reflected on the human tragedy of the event and showed audiences the content of one of the victims’ bags,” the broadcaster said in a statement.

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“Colin immediately recognised that this was inappropriate and said so on air. Both Colin and Sky News apologise profusely for any offence caused”.