Passenger plane crashes in Southern France …148 people on board

A passenger plane carrying 148 people between Barcelona and Dusseldorf has crashed in France.

The Airbus A320, operated by Lufthansa’s Germanwings budget airline, came down in the southern French Alps.

Posted at11:09
French President Francois Hollande has been responding to news of the crash. He says the area where the plane went down is very difficult to access.

The French government has activated a ministerial crisis cell to help coordinate the aftermath of the crash, according to President Hollande.

French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls said the causes of the crash were not yet known.

“We of course don’t know the reasons for the crash,” he told reporters.

“We obviously fear that the 142 to 150 passengers and crew died today, given the conditions of this crash.”

France’s interior ministry said debris from the airliner has been found near a village in the region.

A total of 142 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew, were on board the plane, according to aviation officials cited by the local La Provence newspaper.

Germanwings said it cannot confirm the reports. Airbus has yet to comment.

Details later.