A n Airbus A320-200 aircraft operating as Germanwings flight 4U-9525 — which was carrying 144 passengers and six members of the flight crew from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, according to the official Twitter feed of Germanwings — reportedly crashed roughly 12 nautical miles southwest of Barcelonnette in a mountainous area of France at approximately 11:20 in the morning earlier today.
Es handelt sich um ein Flugzeug vom Typ A320. An Bord waren 144 Passagiere und 6 Crew-Mitglieder. Lufthansa und Germanwings …
— Germanwings (@germanwings) March 24, 2015
Debris of the crash has reportedly been found. The cause of the crash has not yet been identified.
The following message currently appears on the official Internet web site of Germanwings:
We have recently become aware of media reports speculating on an incident though we still do not have any own confirmed information. As soon as definite information is available, we shall inform the media immediately. Please monitor our website www.germanwings.com for periodic updates.
Also according to multiple sources, an ominous statement was released by François Hollande, who is the president of France: “The conditions of the accident suggest there would be no survivors.” He also posted a message to Twitter, which roughly translates to “I want to express to the families of the victims of the air accident my solidarity. This is a mourning, a tragedy.”
Je veux exprimer aux familles des victimes de cet accident aérien toute ma solidarité. C’est un deuil, une tragédie. — François Hollande (@fhollande) March 24, 2015
Here is an official statement from the official Twitter feed of the European Aviation Safety Agency:
Great sad news #Germanwings. All our thoughts with the families of the victims. Ready to provide all support possible to the investigations.
— EASA (@EASA) March 24, 2015
Lufthansa — the parent company of Germanwings, which is a low-cost carrier — has been sending out messages via its official feed on Twitter, shown below in reverse chronological order:
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the passengers and crew members. 5/5
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) March 24, 2015
of the passengers involved for care and assistance. Everyone at Germanwings and Lufthansa is deeply shocked and saddened by these events.4/5
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) March 24, 2015
Lufthansa and Germanwings have established a telephone hotline. The toll-free 0800 11 33 55 77 number is available to all the families 3/5
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) March 24, 2015
French Alps. The flight was being operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, and was carrying 144 passengers and six crew members. 2/5
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) March 24, 2015
We must confirm to our deepest regret that Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Düsseldorf has suffered an accident over the 1/5
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) March 24, 2015
“…on 4U 9525. If our fears are confirmed, this is a dark day for Lufthansa. We hope to find survivors.“ Carsten Spohr 2/2
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) March 24, 2015
“We do not yet know what has happened to flight 4U 9525. My deepest sympathy goes to the families and friends of our passengers and crew 1/2
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) March 24, 2015
Members of Milepoint and FlyerTalk are currently discussing this tragic news.
As with any aviation tragedy, my thoughts and condolences are with the families and friends of those who were aboard that airplane this morning; and I am praying for a miracle…
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