Germanwings airliner crashes in French Alps
24 March 2015 Europe
An Airbus A320 airliner has crashed in the French
Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne, French
aviation officials and police have said.
The jet belongs to the German airline
Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa.
The plane had reportedly been en route from
Barcelona to Dusseldorf and was carrying 142
passengers and six crew.
French President Francois Hollande said: "The
conditions of the accident, which have not yet
been clarified, lead us to think there are no
survivors."
Mr Hollande said the crash was a tragedy and
called for solidarity with the victims, adding that
the area was very difficult to access.
He said he would be speaking shortly with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The plane issued a distress call at 10:47 (09:47
GMT), according to sources quoted by AFP news
agency.
Search-and-rescue teams are headed to the crash
site at Meolans-Revels, said regional council head
Eric Ciotti.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he had
sent Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to the
scene and a ministerial crisis cell to co-ordinate
the incident had been set up.
The interior ministry said debris had been located
at an altitude of 2,000 metres.
Both Airbus and Germanwings have said they are
aware of the reports but cannot yet confirm them.
The Airbus A320 is single-aisle passenger jet
popular for short- and medium-haul flights.