Germanwings A320 passenger plane crashes in Southern FrancePublished time: March 24, 2015 10:34 Edited time: March 24, 2015 11:27  Reuters / Fabrizio Bensch An Airbus A320 with 142 passengers and six crewmembers has crashed in Digne region, southern France, media reports say. The jet, which belonged to Germanwings low-cost airline, was flying from Barcelona to Düsseldorf. READ MORE: A320 passenger jet crashes in Southern France LIVE UPDATES The jet took off from Barcelona airport at 08:55 GMT, according to Spanish Airport operator AENA. The plane crash in the French Alps was confirmed by General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The jet crashed in the Upper Bléone Valley, Le Provence wrote. Emergency services are currently heading to the disaster zone. French Transport Minister Thierry Mariani said that a distress signal was sent by the Germanwings plane. France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has confirmed the plane crash and is headed to the scene, local TV reported. He added that debris from the crashed jet has been found near a village.He added that debris from crashed jet has been found near the small town of Barcelonnette, a commune in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence,about 100 km (65 miles) north of the French Riviera city of Nice. President Francois Hollande said there were no survivors among the 148 people on board, RTL reported. "There were 148 people on board," French President Francois Hollande said. "The conditions of the accident, which have not yet been clarified, lead us to think there are no survivors." He also expressed condolences to the families of the victims on his official Twitter account. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said there are fears up to 150 passengers and crew died in the crash, adding that the cause is not yet known. "We of course dont know the reasons for the crash," Valls told the media. "We obviously fear that the 142 to 150 passengers and crew died today, given the conditions of this crash." The plane was lost from the radars at about 09:39 GMT, according to flightradar24, an internet service displaying real-time aircraft flight information on a map. Germanwings, a low-cost airline based in Cologne, tweeted that they will inform media immediately about the incident, “as soon as definite information is available.” | 
