This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/26/world/europe/challenges-weigh-heavily-on-recovery-efforts-in-germanwings-crash.html

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Challenges Weigh Heavily on Recovery Efforts in Germanwings Crash Challenges Weigh Heavily on Recovery Efforts in Germanwings Crash
(34 minutes later)
SEYNES-LES-ALPES, France — As they confront the grim task of recovering 150 bodies and the pulverized wreckage of the German jetliner that plunged into a mountainside near this village on Tuesday, rescue workers are facing daunting challenges and scenes unsettling even to trained emergency personnel.SEYNES-LES-ALPES, France — As they confront the grim task of recovering 150 bodies and the pulverized wreckage of the German jetliner that plunged into a mountainside near this village on Tuesday, rescue workers are facing daunting challenges and scenes unsettling even to trained emergency personnel.
The crash site is inaccessible by road or even foot, making helicopter flights the only way in. Most of the area is covered by extremely steep hillside, making landing difficult and forcing emergency personnel and investigators to be lowered carefully to the ground. So steep is the landscape that workers are concerned about aircraft parts and human remains sliding down the mountain. The crash site is inaccessible by road or even foot, making helicopter flights the only way in. Most of the area is extremely steep hillside, making landing difficult and forcing emergency personnel and investigators to be lowered carefully to the ground. So steep is the landscape that workers are concerned about aircraft parts and human remains sliding down the mountain.
Xavier Roy, the coordinator for emergency personnel, said after flying over the site that he was surprised by the absence of big pieces of wreckage, an engine or a large piece of the fuselage, typically visible after a crash.Xavier Roy, the coordinator for emergency personnel, said after flying over the site that he was surprised by the absence of big pieces of wreckage, an engine or a large piece of the fuselage, typically visible after a crash.
“Here, we are not seeing anything except bits and pieces,” Mr. Roy said. “The largest piece we have seen so far is the equivalent of a car door.”“Here, we are not seeing anything except bits and pieces,” Mr. Roy said. “The largest piece we have seen so far is the equivalent of a car door.”
He said that the initial rescue workers who reached the scene on Tuesday had scoured the area looking for movement or sounds from any potential survivors, but that they had not heard or seen anything to suggest that anyone might have lived through the crash. He said that the initial rescue workers who reached the scene on Tuesday had scoured the area, looking for movement or sounds from any potential survivors, but that they had not heard or seen anything to suggest that anyone might have lived through the crash.
On Wednesday, as early morning fog gave way to a cold, gray overcast, helicopters roared in and out of the staging area toward the crash site, where emergency personnel were placing flags to mark the locations of the victims. Fabrice Rouve, 46, a member of the regional rescue service who specializes in Alpine emergencies, was one of the first people to reach the scene on Tuesday.
In 14 years in the job, he has dug people out of avalanches, rescued stranded rock climbers and recovered the bodies of fallen climbers. But he said the crash of the Germanwings flight was a different order of destruction.
“All of my colleagues who are experts, we all agreed, we had never seen anything like this,” he said in an interview here.
“First we saw just some tendrils of smoke from the wreckage, and it’s hard to imagine for a big aircraft like this, but there was nothing left,” he said. “There was only debris.”
Mr. Rouve said that what was most distressing to him was the state of the victims’ remains.
“There were no more whole bodies,” he said.
On Wednesday, as early morning fog gave way to a cold, gray overcast, helicopters roared in and out of the staging area toward the crash site, where emergency workers were placing flags to mark the locations of the victims.
Investigators were also combing through the wreckage in the hopes of finding the second of the two so-called black boxes, the flight data recorder. The recorder should contain a wealth of information about the flight and the condition of the Airbus A320 during its final, eight-minute descent from its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet en route to Düsseldorf, Germany, from Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday morning.Investigators were also combing through the wreckage in the hopes of finding the second of the two so-called black boxes, the flight data recorder. The recorder should contain a wealth of information about the flight and the condition of the Airbus A320 during its final, eight-minute descent from its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet en route to Düsseldorf, Germany, from Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday morning.
Seynes-les-Alpes, a village of 1,400 inhabitants in a valley a three-hour drive northwest of Nice, found itself overrun. Emergency personnel, journalists and security services are all on hand for the scheduled visit later on Wednesday of President François Hollande of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of Spain. Seynes-les-Alpes, a village of 1,400 in a valley a three-hour drive northwest of Nice, found itself overrun. Emergency personnel, journalists and security services were all on hand for the scheduled visit later on Wednesday of President François Hollande of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of Spain.
The authorities were also making plans to help families of some of the victims travel to the village. With hotel rooms in the region scarce, some residents have offered to take in the victims’ families, said the mayor, Francis Hermitte. “But we don’t know the needs of these families, it will depend on when they get the bodies,” he said.The authorities were also making plans to help families of some of the victims travel to the village. With hotel rooms in the region scarce, some residents have offered to take in the victims’ families, said the mayor, Francis Hermitte. “But we don’t know the needs of these families, it will depend on when they get the bodies,” he said.
The village set up a temporary chapel in a school gymnasium.The village set up a temporary chapel in a school gymnasium.
René Vaugeois, who retired here more than 10 years ago and has the ruddy look of an enthusiastic hiker, said that he had been moved by what had happened, and that the mountain environment that had brought him so much happiness was now enveloped in sadness.René Vaugeois, who retired here more than 10 years ago and has the ruddy look of an enthusiastic hiker, said that he had been moved by what had happened, and that the mountain environment that had brought him so much happiness was now enveloped in sadness.