The classmates who never came home: First picture of tragic German exchange students who died on doomed Flight 4U 9525
- Sixteen German teenagers had been on week-long exchange trip to Barcelona and were on way back to Germany
- They are among the 150 people who perished on the Germanwings flight, along with their two Spanish teachers
- At least three British nationals died in flight, along with two Americans and 72 German citizens who were onboard
- Martyn Matthews, a father-of-two from Wolverhampton and Paul Andrew Bramley, 28, originally from Hull perished
- German pupils attended Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium school in Haltern-am-See, where pupils are laying flowers
- Headmaster said he is 'speechless and shell shocked' at news of deaths and 50 counsellors are helping pupils
- One of the teachers who died had been married less than six months, the headmaster confirmed
- School held simple memorial, burning 16 candles to remember pupils last night, as dozens of candles were laid
- Philip Hammond, foreign secretary, confirmed three British nationals died but he 'could not rule out' more
- Leading opera singers Maria Radner and Oleg Bryjak and a Spanish woman and her seven-month-old baby all died
- Father-of-two Martyn Matthews, of Wolverhampton, was expecting another baby with his wife and died in the crash
- The A320 airbus which was flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in the French Alps on Tuesday morning
These are some of the young German exchange students who had been on their way home from a week-long trip in Barcelona before they perished on the Germanwings flight.
Sixteen children and two teachers from the same school were among the 150 people who died when the plane crashed in a remote region of the French Alps on Tuesday morning, hitting the mountainside at more than 400mph.
The German pupils were pictured last December at a bowling alley enjoying a visit from 12 Spanish children from Giola institute in Llinars del Valles, near Barcelona, who had come to visit Germany on an exchange trip.
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These are some of the German pupils who died on the Germanwings flight, which crashed in the Alps, killing all 150 passengers. The teenagers had been on a week-long exchange trip to Barcelona and were flying home when the plane crashed on Tuesday morning. They are pictured in December, when their Spanish counterparts visited Germany as part of the exchange trips between the two schools
Just a few months later the 16-strong class at Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium school in Haltern-am-See, an English speaking grammar, went to visit their Spanish counterparts in Barcelona for a week-long exchange.
Yesterday, after a successful week, they were flying home with their two Spanish language teachers from Barcelona to Dusseldorf when the Germanwings flight lost altitude suddenly, and fell from the sky, plummeting towards the mountainside at a speed of almost 500mph.
All passengers on board were killed and searched continue today for the second black box on the plane.
Two teachers who were with the class, named as Sonja Cercek and Stefanie T by German newspaper Bild, also perished.
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Pupils, relatives and teachers have been seen at the school today, placing candles and flowers in tribute to those who died. Around 50 counsellors are helping children and teachers on site.
At a press conference today Headmaster Ulrich Wessel said he was 'shell shocked and lost for words' by the deaths of his students yesterday.
He said: 'When we first got the call we were hopeful thinking maybe they had missed the flight. But the minister told us that our students and teachers were on the passenger list.
'Our sympathy most of all goes out to the parents who have lost their children, the grandparents who have lost their grandchildren. All the relatives. At the school at the moment is the husband of one of the young colleagues who died. They have been married for less than half a year. I'm speechless faced with this tragedy.'
Schoolgirl Elena Bless, 16, was on board the ill-fated flight. The 16-year-old was described as a 'happy girl' who dreamed of going to university
Spanish teacher Sonja Cercek is one of two teachers on the flight, thought to have perished along with her class of 16 pupils
He added: 'I was asked how many pupils were at the school and I said 1,283, but then I realised I had to say it was 16 less.'
A one-minute's silence is due to take place tomorrow, at 10.53am - the last time contact from the plane was made - Sylvia Lohrmann, the Minister of Education confirmed.
Ms Lohrmann told the press conference: 'All of Germany is grieving and from all around the world we are receiving messages about how everyone is taking part in the grieving process.'
Rescue operations are taking place at the crash site today, in a desperate bid to recover wreckage that may give information about what happened. Officials confirmed that five helicopters, 200 firefighters and 500 gendarmes are currently at the site trying to recover any equipment and clues.
A number of Germanwings pilots refused to fly planes today in the wake of the crash.
Urgent safety checks are now being carried out on other A320s - popular with budget airlines - while passengers were left stranded at Heathrow, Stansted and Manchester yesterday after several Germanwings crews refused to work because of safety fears. Lufthansa, the parent company for Germanwings, confirmed that one flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf had been cancelled because pilots did not feel comfortable to fly.
One theory is that the windscreen of the plane may have cracked, causing a sudden drop in oxygen that may have rendered the pilots unconscious.
Bild newspaper, in Germany, has also released what it claims to be is the first report of the crash by French authorities. This shows how French air traffic control attempted to make contact with the plane when it changed altitude, but all efforts to contact the plane by wireless and emergency systems went unanswered.
Students have been gathering at a memorial of flowers and candles in front of the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium secondary school in Haltern am See this morning, paying tribute to their classmates who have perished
This morning pupils turned up at the school to look at the tributes and candles placed to honour their friends on the steps of the school
Officials confirmed that 50 counsellors have been drafted into the school to help pupils, teachers and parents as they gathered outside
Candles, flowers and cards have been placed on the steps outside the school, following news of the deaths of the year 10 pupils
In a tragic twist it emerged yesterday that the children almost escaped death because one 15-year-old girl had left her passport behind. However her host family offered to race the girl and all her travel documents to the airport in Barcelona directly, allowing them all to get on the flight in time.
Hundreds of children and parents turned up at the school on Tuesday evening to light candles and pay tribute to the students.
Classes at the school were stopped yesterday after teachers were forced to confirm to pupils that some of their fellow classmates had died.
Ivonne Bobb, 48, the mother of a student told Bild newspaper: 'My niece Janina was supposed to be there. But she has not taken part in the exchange then. Maybe it was inspiration.'
Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, confirmed this morning that 'at least three' British nationals had perished, but said he could not rule out there being more. Two Americans were also on board the doomed plane.
A CLASS OF 16 TEENAGERS AND THEIR TEACHERS, TWO TALENTED OPERA SINGERS, TWO BABIES AND A FATHER-OF-TWO: THE VICTIMS OF THE DOOMED GERMANWINGS FLIGHT
Most of the 150 victims of the Germanwings crash were from Germany.
Germanwings chief executive Thomas Winkelmann said those who died came from at least 13 different countries - with 72 German nationals and 51 people from Spain said to have been on passenger lists for the plane. There has been some confusion over numbers of passengers and countries they are from, because of dual nationalities, since the crash.
Germany
Class of 16 year 10 pupils from Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium school in west Germany on an exchange trip to Barcelona
Their two Spanish teachers - Sonja Cercek and Stefanie T.
Maria Radner, 34, an opera singer at the Deutsche Oper am Rhine in Dusseldorf. The contralto was travelling with her husband and baby after having performed in Barcelona, with fellow opera singer Oleg Bryjak, who also perished.
Thomas Treppe, a fashion consultant, had been travelling on business when the plane crashed, El Pais reported.
María de Pablo Nuño, a Spanish teacher who had travelled to see her family in Barcelona.
UK
Martyn Matthews, a father-of-two with another child on the way. Mr Matthews, of Wolverhampton, was on business in Barcelona and worked as a senior quality manager.
Marina Bandrés López-Belio, from Huesca, was travelling with her seven-month-old baby Julian Pracz-Bandres from her uncle's funeral in Zaragoza. They had been living in Manchester for the last seven years. Mrs Lopez-Belio, a film maker, had not been able to fly home direct to Manchester, so had opted for a flight to Dusseldorf. Her Polish husband Pawel Pracz had not been on the flight with her.
Paul Andrew Bramley, 28, originally from Hull, was also a passenger on the flight, the Foreign Office confirmed. Mr Bramley was a hospitality and hotel management student studying in Switzerland.
Maria Radner (left) had been traveling to her hometown Dusseldorf with her husband and baby after performing in Barcelona's Liceu for the very first time. She was performing Richard Wagner's Sigfried with fellow opera singer Oleg Bryjak (right), who also died
Spain
Josep Sabaté Casellas, worked for Espirit and was travelling to a business meeting in Germany. He was married with three children and was believed to have a fourth child on the way.
Teacher Pilar Vicente Sebastián, 52, had been on her way to see her two children who were studying in Dusseldorf, according to Levante.
A newly married 23-year-old man from La Llagosta, who got married on Saturday, was travelling with his wife, es reported.
A grandmother, her daughter and grandaughter from Sant Cugat del Vallès in Catalonia were all travelling together on a visit to Dusseldorf, according to the Huffington Post. The girl was said to be just 12.
Manuel Rives, 52, was a married father of three and representative for the major Spanish trade union in Delphi, reported El Pais. Colleagues were seen carrying his photo, remembering the worker, today.
The newspaper also reported that businessman and amateur rower Carles Masanas Milla was going to a food fair in Cologne.
Ariadna Falguera, 33, wife of a member of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) party, was confirmed to have been among the passengers, according to El Pais.
Rogelio Oficialdegui Tina, 62, was the director of human resources at the Delphi plant in Barcelona. He had two children and a grandson.
María del Pilar Vicente Sebastian, 55, a teacher.
Truck drivers Fernando Martínez Rubio and Javier Moreno Navarro, who were travelling together, were also on the flight according to La Verdad newspaper.
America
Yvonne Selke of Nokesville, Virginia, and her daughter Emily were both killed in the crash. Ms Selke was a highly regarded employee of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. in Washington.
Emily Selke, of America, was one of the victims of the plane crash and had been on board the jet with her mother
Colombia
The Colombian Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of two nationals. Ms Tejada, a 36-year-old economist was visiting her husband in Barcelona, according to CNN and Mr Medrano was an architect.
Argentina
Sebastián Gabriel Greco and Gabriela Luján Maumus, both 28, were a couple travelling on the plane.
Belgium
Christian Driessens, 59, a father and grandfather, travelled on planes almost every week for business and was fondly remembered by his family as an avid globetrotter, who loved to travel.
Iris Claassen, 20, who comes from Deurne, has been named by the Huffington Post.
Australia
Mother and son Carol and Greig Friday, of Victoria in Australia. Mrs Friday had been a nurse for 40 years.
Kazakhstan
Opera singer Oleg Bryjak, 54, a baritone, had just performed Richard Wagner's 'Siegfried' at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu.
Erbol and Adil Imankulov and Aizhan Isengaliyeva were all confirmed dead by Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry.
Iran
Milad Hojatoleslami, who worked for semi-official Tasnim news agency, and Hossein Javadi, a journalist at the Vatan-e-Emrouz daily were also among the dead, the Guardian reported.
Japan
The Japanese Foreign Ministry confirmed that two Japanese men, Satoshi Nagata, who was in his 60s and Junichi Sato, in his 40s, were on the passenger list.
Israel
Eyal Baum was 39 and lived in Barcelona with his wife.
Martyn Matthews, a father-of-two and businessman from Wolverhampton, is reported to have died on the flight. Mr Matthews, 50, was flying back from a business trip to Spain when the accident happened. He leaves a wife and two children, both believed to be in the twenties. His 82-year-old mother Iris said today: 'Martyn was a lovely family man. He loved his work and travelled extensively. I don't want to say any more. It's too hard.'
His family said they were 'devastated at the news of this tragic incident.'
The Foreign Office confirmed this afternoon that Paul Andrew Bramley, 28, originally from Hull, was also a passenger on the flight. He had been studying hospitality and hotel management at Ceasar Ritz College in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio a 37-year-old Spanish woman living in Manchester and travelling with seven-month-old son Julian, were also killed after travelling home from a funeral in Spain. They had been unable to get a direct flight home to Manchester so booked to fly via Dusseldorf on the doomed plane.
Manuel, father to Mrs Lopez-Belio, took his daughter and grandson to Barcelona’s El Prat airport. He said he was still waiting for official confirmation that his grandson had died.
The number of German nationals believed to have been on board the plane rose to 72, as Germanwings boss Thomas Winkelmann promised that the care of the families of the dead was the airline's 'top priority.'
Also among the dead were opera singers Maria Radner and Oleg Bryjak. Mrs Radner's husband and baby are also reported to have died. Mother and son Carol and Greig Friday, from Victoria, Australia had been on board the flight.
Yvonne Selke of Virginia, America, and her daughter were also said to have been on the plane when it dropped out of the sky and careered into the Alps.
The mangled remains of the cockpit voice recorder have been recovered from the crash site, but it has been badly damaged by the impact
Pictures of the recorder have been released by Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA) who said although damaged, they hope to retrieve some information from it
A rescue helicopter from the French Gendarmerie is seen flying over the Alps today as teams search for debris from the tragic crash
The Gendarmerie have been flying over the crash site - Seyne-les-Alpes, which is hard to get to and only accessible by helicopter
Helicopters of the French Gendarmerie take off for another search and rescue operation from Syne Les Alpes this morning
The French Red Cross has laid out beds for families of the victims who perished in the Germanwings crash on Tuesday morning
Francisco Martinez, state security for Spain, said it was thought 49 Spanish people had died on the flight. He said: 'We had a list from the airline with the passengers with Spanish surnames. Today we have more reliable data as relatives have contacted officials at Barcelona Airport.
'We can say at this moment in time that we have identified 49 Spanish victims, with names, surnames and National Identity card numbers.'
He said a specialist forensic team consisting of three police and three Civil Guard officers were ready to travel to the crash scene.
Spain came to a standstill today as people observed a one-minute silence to pay tribute to the crash victims. Barcelona's Liceu, where two opera singers killed in the crash had performed at the weekend, took part as well as town halls around the country and the country's Parliament in Madrid.
El Prat airport in Barcelona also came to a standstill in a mark of solidarity.
Also among the dead was a 59-year-old Belgian father and grandfather, Christian Driessens. His niece and Goddaughter, Sandrine, told La Provence newspaper: 'My uncle would certainly know he was living his last momentsAnd it's very hard to hear that the aircraft's descent lasted eight minutes. Eight long minutes in which he knew he was dying. It's atrocious.
'I dare not imagine the horror of parents trying to protect their babies.'
Rescue helicopters from the French Gendarmerie were seen flying over the snow covered Alps this morning in a search and rescue operation, but no one is thought to have survived the tragic crash.
A black box, believed to be severely damaged, was recovered and parts of metal have been seen scattered across the mountains. Officials said while it was damaged they still hoped to retrieve information from it.
Dozens of students arrived at Joseph-Koenig Gymnasium on Wednesday morning to console each other after the crash
Children comforted eachother when they arrived at Joseph-Koenig school this morning to pay their respects to their classmates
Pupils laid candles and flowers on the school steps on Wednesday in tribute to the 16 children and two teachers who perished
Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande and Mariano Rajoy, were all at the crash site today.
Meanwhile BILD newspaper in Germany published on its website details of the first report about the crash of Flight 4U 9525. It claims it to be the first report submitted by the French to the German government after the disaster.
It said there were 'normal operating conditions' for the French traffic control, as well as for technical systems.
It said: '10:31:02: Germanwings 4U9525 leaves its cruising altitude without informing French air traffic control and starts a descent at an average rate of decline observed by radar in ca 17.8 metres per second (3500 feet per minute).'
The report goes on to describe how French air traffic control attempted to make contact with the plane over wireless and emergency systems, which were not answered.
It added: '10 h 35: French air traffic control raises the internationally standardized "emergency level" (DETRESFA distress phase) and contacts the national headquarters of the French search and rescue service. At this time, Germanwings 4U9525 is flying at a height of 7600 metres.
'10:36:47: The French air traffic control organisation makes the last attempt to reach Germanwings 4U9525 on the international emergency frequency. This radio message is not answered by Germanwings 4U9525.
'10 h 40: The radar target of Germanwings 4U9525 disappears from the radar screen. The last displayed altitude was approximately 1890 metres.'
By 10.42am the French air traffic control informed the national headquarters of the French search and rescue service that the radar tracking had been lost.
Yesterday, parents of the 16 German children killed, who had expected to welcome their children home at Dusseldorf Airport, were in tears as news of the horrifying crash began to break.
The distressed families were ushered into private rooms at the airport by the police and representatives of Germanwings, where they were offered counselling.
Airport workers said several families refused to believe the news, and some women had to be sedated.
Students were seen hugging each other as they stood in front of Joseph Koenig School this morning trying to make sense of the deaths
A woman is seen lighting a candle outside the school beside a sign which simply reads 'warum', meaning why? among dozens of tributes
Pupils left messages for victims of the plane crash and their families on a pole at the departures gate at Dusseldorf airport today
Young people were seen clinging to one another for support as news of the deaths of their classmates was confirmed on Wednesday
One worker said: 'They collapsed, and the screams of women echoed through the VIP room where they were taken. It was heartbreaking to see them punching in the numbers of their childrens' mobile telephones to try to reach them. And dropping them into their laps when there was no reply.'
Some relatives went to their childrens' school last night after the news of the crash was confirmed.
Family members were expected to be flown out to the Alps – while Angela Merkel prepared for a visit to the crash site herself, which is expected to take place today.
A simple memorial service was held at the teenagers' school to remember them last night. Sixteen candles burned in the school auditorium for the children and Spanish teachers Sonja Cercek and Stefanie T who died.
Headmaster Ulrich Wessel said: 'We have never experienced such a darkness, such a black day, and we don't yet know how we will get through this trauma.'
Paul Andrew Bramley, 28, was studying hospitality and hotel management in Lucerne and was one of the victims of the aeroplane crash
Crash victim Martyn Matthews, 50, is pictured with his daughter Jade (left), wife Sharon (centre right) and son Nathan (right)
Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio aSpanish woman living in Manchester who was travelling with her seven-month-old son died in the crash
Australian mother and son, Carol (left) and Greig (right) Friday were among the 150 victims who perished while on board the airbus
Workers from the Delphi factory in Spain hold a picture of their colleague, Manuel Rives, who died in the crash on Tuesday morning
Deceased: Austrian opera singer Maria Radner was on the Germanwings Airbus A320 flight with her husband and baby when it crashed in the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board
Victim: An opera house in Dusseldorf has said Oleg Bryjak was among the 150 people on board the doomed flight having performed in Richard Wagner's Siegfried in Barcelona
Employees and trustees of the opera house Gran Teatre del Liceu observed a minute's silence after two opera singers were killed on the plane after performing there
Team members of German first division Bundesliga team FC Bayern Munich held a minute's silence ahead of the club's training session
Andreas Wins, 45, said his daughter was in the same class that the victims were in but not part of the Spanish group. He said: 'The children and the parents are all in pieces. It is like someone has come and smashed up our lives and scattered the pieces far and wide.'
Marti Pujol, the mayor of the Spanish village revealed yesterday that the class almost missed the flight after a young girl realised she left her passport behind after arriving at the train station with the rest of her companions to catch a train to Barcelona's El Prat airport
Children at the Giola Secondary School, where the students were on exchange, spoke of their sorrow after hearing the news.
One, Anna Garcia, said: 'One of the German girls left a bag with all her travel documents inside at her host family's home.
'So they didn't hold the rest of the group up, the family took her to the airport and she was able to board the plane.'
'Our German teacher is very affected by the news. He says he has to put on a brave face for the pupils' sake but he is going through a very bad time.'
Devastated: Children at the Joseph-Koenig secondary school who were initially sent home after hearing the heart-breaking news came back to pay their respects
A candle-lit vigil was held at the Joseph-Konig-Gymnasium high school last night after the pupils died
Tragic: In emotional scenes in Haltern-am-See this afternoon, schoolmates of those killed in the air disaster were seen comforting one another and embracing and they laid flowers at the school gates
Vigil: Last night, students of the Josef-Koenig-Gymnasium high school have been lighting candles to remember their six German schoolmates and two teachers who died in a tragic plane crash
Remembrance: A beautiful vigil was left outside the school while others changed their Facebook cover photos to black, with the message 'Haltern mourns'
Vigil: Candles were lit for the Year 10 pupils who were returning from a week-long foreign exchange in Spain when their plane crashed
In emotional scenes in Haltern-am-See, schoolmates of those killed in the disaster were seen comforting one another and embracing and they laid flowers at the school gates.
'Gone but not forgotten, lost but always with us. Our hearts are broken but you are forever in them,' read one to a girl called Kati.
Another pupil called Ibrahim told a local TV station: 'I lost a good friend on that plane, 15 years old, a beautiful girl with everything ahead of her. We are in bits here. We cannot take it in.'
The Spanish government announced three days of national mourning yesterday.
The flags on government buildings, including the Reichstag, fluttered ast half mast on Wednesday to honour the dead, 67 in all from Germany. But no national remembrance service is planed - a government spokesman said it would be up to regional authorities in all 16 states to organise such events.
Five Spanish psychologists have travelled to Marseilles to help relatives who have travelled to France and six are at the scene of the accident.
Red Cross Psychologists returned to the Giola Institute in the Catalan village of Llinars del Valles today to assist friends of the 16 German schoolchildren who died after finishing a nine-day exchange programme.
'Never forgotten': Students attend a mass in Llinars del Valles - the town where the German exchange students who died in the Germanwings plane crash attended school near Barcelona
Paying respect: Members of the Lower Chamber of Spanish Parliament observe a minute of silence for the victims of the Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 plane crash
A Lufthansa employee is seen signing a book of condolence in Frankfurt in Germany following the crash
Colleagues at Lufthansa have been mourning the victims and six crew members who died on the doomed Germanwings plane yesterday
As messages of condolence flooded in from politicians and celebrities, national German football team player Benedikt Höwedes tweeted: 'Our sympathies to the victims and their families of this tragic aircraft accident. Any one of us could have been sitting on board that plane.'
In a press conference Bodo Klimpel, added that once it became clear that the plane was not going to land at Dusseldorf, lessons at Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium school were immediately cancelled.
Initially I would like to say that the town is deeply affected and saddened... The state of shock that is palpable everywhere, that is pretty much the worst that anyone could imagine
Bodo Klimpel, mayor of Haltern-am-See
'Initially I would like to say that the town is deeply affected and saddened... The state of shock that is palpable everywhere, that is pretty much the worst that anyone could imagine,' he said.
'On the boarding list of the plane which crashed there are 16 students from our school and there are two teachers.
'They were listed by name and the school director has received confirmation from Spain that the students did board the plane, with the teachers accompanying them.
'Rescue services have not been able to reach the crash site which means we have no final confirmation of the worst, however we have to assume the worst.'
Mr Klimpel said teachers and students would receive counselling and special assemblies were being organised to help them process their grief.
The Ruhr Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck said: 'We have despatched pastoral workers across the town to help with the loss. It is the saddest day we have known. For all it is a tragedy, but especially so for young people with lives full of promised ahead of them.'
The Airbus A320 operated by the low-cost Germanwings company, was travelling from Barcelona, in Spain, to Dusseldorf, in Germany, when it disappeared from radar screens.
The plane plummeted from 11,600 metres to 1,500 metres while flying over the town of Barcelonnette, which is popular with Alpine skiers.
One local in the hamlet of Vernet, at 1200m, said he 'heard an extremely loud noise' and then 'saw plumes of thick black smoke appearing across the mountains'.
Terror: As bereaved relatives mourned at Barcelona airport, a passenger said it felt 'very strange' to check in for Germanwings' evening flight to Duesseldorf
It is the saddest day we have known. For all it is a tragedy, but especially so for young people with lives full of promised ahead of them
Franz-Josef Overbeck, Ruhr Bishop
It began to lose altitude as its two pilots tried to cope with an unknown on-board emergency, sending out a last message reading: 'Emergency, Emergency'.
The plane came down on isolated, snow-capped peaks, a full two-and-a-half hour trek from the nearest village, and wreckage was spread out over more than a mile.
Other than the German schoolchildren and teachers, the majority of those on board the plane were Spanish and Turkish nationals. Two babies have also been confirmed among the dead.
Gilbert Sauvan, a local council spokesman in the Alpes de Haute-Provence region, where the accident happened, said the plane 'disintegrated on impact' meaning the 'largest piece of wreckage is the size of a car'.
French air traffic controllers declared an emergency at 10:47 a.m. as they saw the plane descending rapidly, said Eric Heraud, of the French civil aviation authority DGAC.
Disaster: A rescue helicopter flies over wreckage of a Germanwings Airbus A320 plane that crashed between the towns of Barcelonnette and Digne in the French Alps. All 150 people on board - including two babies and 16 children from the same German school - are presumed dead
Obliterated: Debris reportedly from the Airbus A320 is seen on the mountainside. Mystery surrounds the final moments of the passenger plane after air traffic controllers claimed they received no SOS signal despite the jet nosediving 32,000ft in just eight minutes
This Germanwings Airbus A320 carrying 144 passengers and six crew crashed in the French Alps
Timeline of terror: This graphic from FlightRadar24 shows the path of the Airbus A320 until it dropped off the radar after plunging 31,200ft in just ten minutes
President Francois Hollande said the first major passenger air crash in France for 15 years was 'a loss, a tragedy, and its happened on our soil'.
'The circumstances of the accident make us believe that there will be no survivors,' said the French president, as he responded to the tragedy.
Mr Hollande offered his condolences to the family and friends of all those on board, but said the cause of the emergency 'was still unknown'.
Interior Ministry sources in Paris later confirmed that none of the two pilots, four crew, and 144 passengers had survived.
The circumstances of the accident make us believe that there will be no survivors
French president Francois Hollande
A spokesman for the DGAC aviation authority said the plane crashed between Dignes-les-Bains and Barcelonnette, 65 miles north of the French Riviera city of Nice.
The area is extremely difficult for vehicles to get to, making the salvage operation extremely difficult.
Two gendarme helicopters were the first on the scene, as some 400 other emergency workers later joined the airborne teams on foot.
Local police commander Benoit Zeisser said the crash scene in the high, undulating countryside was covered in snow and 'very difficult to access.
'We are in the process of doing everything possible to get to the scene, but it is very difficult,' he said, while confirming helicopters had reached the site.
Manuel Blasco described how he cheated death after his wife persuaded him against changing his flight, so he avoided travelling on the doomed flight.
He was going to travel on the Airbus A320 that crashed instead of flying out to Germany yesterday/on Monday for a trade fair in Cologne because he felt under the weather.
He told Spanish newspaper El Mundo: 'I woke up with a cold and a bit of a temperature. I was going to change the flight and fly today with the plane that crashed.
Grief: People waiting for Flight 4U 9525 are led away by staff at the airport in Dusseldorf
The arrivals board shows flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona without a status at the airport in Dusseldorf
Debris from the jet, operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline, was found near Barcelonnette
'My wife made me change my mind. She convinced me that as I'd got up, I should go to the airport and rest when I got to Cologne.
'I still asked at the Lufthansa desk when I got to Barcelona airport if I could change the flight but they said the plane that ended up crashing was very full and I'd have to pay a lot of money to reserve a seat.
'As I saw it was going to cost quite a lot, I ended up sticking to my original plan and going on Monday.'
Germanwings, an arm of German national carrier Lufthansa, has set up an emergency hotline to comfort those waiting in arrivals.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the passengers and crew members,' said Lufthansa in a statement as the German nation went into mourning for the dead.
Spain's interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz has ordered police to investigate trolls who have posted hate messages on the Internet.
The trolls targeted Catalans who overwhelming voted 'yes' to independence last November in a symbolic referendum banned by Madrid's central governmet.
One said: 'I hope all those who died in the plane accident are Catalan.'
Another said: 'The air accident seems like a good thing to me if there were Catalans inside.
A third said: 'Let's not make a drama out of this. Catalans, not people, were travelling in the plane.'
Another added: 'Okay, I'm going to say it. Half of Spain is thinking, let's hope the 45 Spanish surnames are those of Catalans and Basques.'
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