Plane crash: No survivors expected: French President
25 March 2015 11:49 PM GMT
The plane crashed near Digne-les-Bains, in the Alpes de Haute Provence region, Valls. None of the 150 people aboard the Germanwings plane that crashed into the French Alps appear to have survived. France’s junior transport minister Alain Vidalies said: “There are no survivors,” adding that that the crash happened shortly after the pilot issued a distress signal.
On the other hand, the French President Francois Hollande warned that it could take some hours for the emergency services to reach the remote crash site.
“The conditions of the accident are not yet clear but it has led us to believe that there will be no
survivors,” Hollande said.
The plane crashed in mountainous terrain near the Prads-Haute-Bleone community, French police Capt Benoit Zeisser said.
Because of the terrain, it will be a difficult site for rescuers to access, Zeisser added. A police helicopter is in the area, he said.
The sports hall of a local school has been made available to take in the bodies of the victims of the plane crash, Sandrine Julien from the town hall of Seyne-les-Alpes village told a news channel. The school remains open, she said. Seyne-les-Alpes is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the crash site.
Relatives of those believed to be on the flight, fearing the worst, have started to gather at Barcelona airport, where a crisis center has been set up.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the German government had set up a crisis centre in response to the “terrible news” and was in close contact with the French authorities. “In these difficult hours, our thoughts are with those who have to fear that their close ones are among the passengers and crew,” he said.
According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, just under 16 per cent of aviation accidents occur during the cruise portion — meaning after the climb and before descent — of a flight. Accidents are more common during takeoff and landing.
On the other hand, the French President Francois Hollande warned that it could take some hours for the emergency services to reach the remote crash site.
“The conditions of the accident are not yet clear but it has led us to believe that there will be no
survivors,” Hollande said.
The plane crashed in mountainous terrain near the Prads-Haute-Bleone community, French police Capt Benoit Zeisser said.
Because of the terrain, it will be a difficult site for rescuers to access, Zeisser added. A police helicopter is in the area, he said.
The sports hall of a local school has been made available to take in the bodies of the victims of the plane crash, Sandrine Julien from the town hall of Seyne-les-Alpes village told a news channel. The school remains open, she said. Seyne-les-Alpes is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the crash site.
Relatives of those believed to be on the flight, fearing the worst, have started to gather at Barcelona airport, where a crisis center has been set up.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the German government had set up a crisis centre in response to the “terrible news” and was in close contact with the French authorities. “In these difficult hours, our thoughts are with those who have to fear that their close ones are among the passengers and crew,” he said.
According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, just under 16 per cent of aviation accidents occur during the cruise portion — meaning after the climb and before descent — of a flight. Accidents are more common during takeoff and landing.
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