Remains of 15 teens killed in Germanwings crash come home

Lufthansa airline on Tuesday night brought to Duesseldorf the remains of the first 44 of the 150 people killed when a Germanwings plane smashed into the French Alps on March 24.

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By (AP)

Published: Wed 10 Jun 2015, 2:49 PM

Last updated: Wed 8 Jul 2015, 2:56 PM

A cargo aircraft, top, with remains of several people who died in the Germanwings plane crash in France lands at the airport in Dusseldorf, Germany, Tuesday, June 9, 2015. (AP Photo)

Duesseldorf, Germany — The coffins of 15 of the 16 high school classmates killed in the Germanwings plane crash are to leave Duesseldorf airport on Wednesday in a hearse convoy to their hometown of Haltern.

Lufthansa airline on Tuesday night brought to Duesseldorf the remains of the first 44 of the 150 people killed when a Germanwings plane smashed into the French Alps on March 24.

Authorities say the co-pilot purposely slammed the plane into a mountainside.

Parents and relatives will be allowed to visit the coffins inside an airport hangar before the convoy of hearses, accompanied by a police motorcade, heads for Haltern. It is to pass by Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium, the school the teens attended.

“This entire event is a tragedy, especially for the parents, but we too lost our students and colleagues,” said Ulrich Wessel, the high school’s principal. Two of the teachers who had accompanied the students on a school exchange trip to Spain were also killed in the crash.

The group was flying back from Barcelona to Duesseldorf when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz crashed the plane against a mountain in France.

“It’s especially difficult for the students of grade 10,” Wessel said. “There used to be 150 students, now they are only 134 ... Many lost their best friends.”

Wessel said psychologists had talked to the students this week and that all students were allowed to attend their schoolmates’ funerals in the coming weeks.

Police said the convoy is expected to arrive in Haltern, around 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the airport, around 3 pm (1300GMT) on Wednesday.

The first burials will be held on Friday, the last ones at the end of the month. One of the 16 teens will not be buried in Haltern.

(AP)

Published: Wed 10 Jun 2015, 2:49 PM

Last updated: Wed 8 Jul 2015, 2:56 PM

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