Airbus A320 crashes in French Alps region, 148 passengers lost

A "Germanwings" Airbus A320 passenger plane crashed Tuesday in southern France near the town of Digne, in the Barcelonette region, with 142 passengers and six crew on board. All are believed to be lost in the crash.
The "Germanwings" Airbus A320 passenger plane sent out a distress signal at 10.47 shortly before disappearing off radar screens in the Alps mountainous region, the French Aviation Authority DGAC said Tuesday.
"Germanwings" is a subsidiary of German flag carrier "Lufthansa" and was on a regular flight linking Barcelona in Spain and Dusseldorf in Germany.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls expressed pessimism about the possibility of survivors and said that Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was heading to the crash site to work with rescue teams.
All 148 passengers and crew are believed lost in the accident and Airbus has opened a "crisis cell" to assist with the investigation, BFM Television reported.