Germanwings airliner 4U 9525 crashes in French Alps

   

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, flight 4U 9525, had been en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf with 142 passengers and six crew on board.

   

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, adding that the area was very difficult to access.

Mr Hollande later called German Chancellor Angela Merkel to express his sympathy, the French presidency said.
The plane issued a distress call at 10:47 (09:47 GMT), the French interior ministry said, although details have not been released.
Search-and-rescue teams are headed to the crash site at Meolans-Revels, said regional council head Eric Ciotti.