Airbus A320 crashes in southern France

PARIS, March 24 --An Airbus A320 of the German low-cost airline Germanwings crashed on Tuesday in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in southern France, local media reported citing a local police source.

The aircraft was flying from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf, Germany, when the crash occured around 1100 local time (1000 GMT). About 142 passengers and 6 crew members were on board, added BFMTV.

In a brief statement, French President Francois Hollande said: "The conditions of the accident, which are not yet clear, suggest there would be no survivors in this tragedy that happened in France."

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls confirmed the crash and "asked for the activation of the interministerial crisis cell." The Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve is on his way to the crash site.

Germanwings is the low-cost subsidiary of Germany's Lufthansa Airlines, Europe's largest airline.

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