Three British nationals killed in Germanwings plane crash
At least three British nationals were on board the Germanwings flight which crashed in the French Alps yesterday.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said there is a possibility there could have been more but passenger details are still being examined.
“We can’t rule out the possibility there are further British people involved,” he said. “The level of information on the flight manifest doesn’t allow us to rule out that possibility.”
Hammond issued a statement yesterday saying: “This is a tragic incident for those involved and their families, I send my deepest condolences to those who have lost family or friends.
“We are providing consular assistance and will give further help as more information becomes available. We are working closely with the French, German and Spanish authorities, and the airline, to establish the facts.
“The UK Air Accident Investigation Branch, and UK Disaster Victim Identification experts, are also standing by to offer assistance to the French authorities, if required.”
According to officials, 45 of those on board were Spanish and 67 German, including a group of 16 pupils from the same school returning from an exchange trip.
Passengers were also from Australia, Turkey, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands and Belgium.
The victims included two babies, one the child of contralto Maria Radner who was returning to Germany with her husband after performing in Wagner’s Siegfried at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu.
Bass baritone Oleg Bryjak, who was in the same opera, was also on the flight.
The passengers also included 16 pupils from the same class at a school in Haltern-am-See in Germany. They had been on an exchange trip in Barcelona and were flying back with two teachers.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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