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Merkel cancels meetings over Germanwings plane crash in France

The chancellor is deeply shocked with the German plane crash, the spokesman said adding that she is expected to make a statement on the catastrophe soon
German Chancellor Angela Merkel  EPA/BERND VON JUTRCZENKA
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
© EPA/BERND VON JUTRCZENKA

BERLIN/PARIS, March 24. /TASS/. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cancelled all meetings scheduled for Tuesday following the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps, a spokesman for the German government said.

The plane en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in mountainous terrain in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, southern France. Germanwings, Lufthansa's budget airline which operated the flight, said on its Facebook page that 150 people, including 144 passengers and six crew members, were on board the plane.

The chancellor is "deeply shocked with the German plane crash," the spokesman said adding that Merkel had had telephone conversations with French President Francois Hollande and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and was expected to make a statement on the plane crash soon.

Meanwhile, King Felipe VI of Spain has cancelled his state visit to France following the tragedy.

The king said after a meeting with President Hollande that many Spanish passengers were onboard. He said there were "no signs of survivors" in the crash.