24-03-2025
Families gather at site of Germanwings plane crash to mark 10 years since tragedy
Hundreds of people have gathered to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Germanwings plane crash that killed 150.
Family members of the victims travelled to the scene of the crash in the French Alps on Monday morning, where flight 9525 was brought down by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz on the afternoon of 24 March 2015.
The aircraft had taken off from Barcelona, Spain just hours before, bound for Dusseldorf, Germany.
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All 150 of those on board lost their lives in the tragedy, including a group of 16 students and two teachers from a German high school and a 37-year-old mother from Manchester, along with her seven-month-old baby.
Other victims included a pair of acclaimed German opera singers and a member of an Argentine rock band.
Most of those killed originated from Germany and Spain, however the death toll included people from 17 different countries in total.
While relatives and close friends paid their respects at the site of the incident, hundreds gathered in the western German town of Haltern am See to remember the 18-member school group who lost their lives on the same day a decade ago.
Christian Krahl, principal of the Joseph Konig high school, remarked on the importance of remembering the tragedy.
'We want to be close to those who are infinitely sad to this day,' he told German news agency DPA.
The town's mayor, Andreas Stegemann, told the agency that the tragedy is a permanent part of the town's history.
Wreaths were laid at the town cemetery, where some of the students are buried alongside a memorial which resembles a schoolroom.
Elsewhere, in the French village of Le Vernet - which is located near the crash site - Carsten Spohr, the chief executive of Germanwings parent Lufthansa, laid flowers for the victims.
Commemorations were also carried out at Barcelona airport and Dusseldorf airport. A book of condolences was made available at the latter to allow employees and travellers to write tributes.
When investigators revealed that the crash was caused by the actions of the flight's co-pilot, many of the victim's loved ones reacted with shock and anger.
It was later revealed that Lubitz had suffered from depression and sleeplessness in the months leading up to the incident, but was deemed fit to fly by his employer.
A five-meter "Solar Orb" was erected at the site of the crash in 2017. Made up of 149 gilded aluminium plates, it is meant to represent all those who died on board except the co-pilot.
