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| Germanwings crash: Poignant return for school victims | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The relatives of 44 of the 150 victims of the Germanwings plane crash are to view their coffins inside a hangar at Germany's Duesseldorf airport. | |
| The cortege, which includes the coffins of 16 German schoolchildren, will later drive past their school in Haltern. | |
| The victims' remains are the first to be repatriated, following delays over errors on the death certificates. | The victims' remains are the first to be repatriated, following delays over errors on the death certificates. |
| Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz is believed to have deliberately crashed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps in March. | Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz is believed to have deliberately crashed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps in March. |
| 'Accept reality' | 'Accept reality' |
| Eighteen of the victims - 16 schoolchildren and two teachers - were from the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium school in the north-western German town of Haltern and were returning from an exchange trip in Barcelona when the plane crashed. | Eighteen of the victims - 16 schoolchildren and two teachers - were from the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium school in the north-western German town of Haltern and were returning from an exchange trip in Barcelona when the plane crashed. |
| The coffins will be driven past the school in a procession later on Wednesday. | |
| Germanwings: The unanswered questions | Germanwings: The unanswered questions |
| Who were the victims? | Who were the victims? |
| The arrival of the remains will help to give the relatives closure, allowing them to accept the reality that their children will not be coming home, a lawyer representing the families told the BBC's Anna Holligan in Duesseldorf. | The arrival of the remains will help to give the relatives closure, allowing them to accept the reality that their children will not be coming home, a lawyer representing the families told the BBC's Anna Holligan in Duesseldorf. |
| The remains of the rest of the victims will be sent back over the coming weeks. The passengers were from 18 countries, including Australia, Argentina and Japan, but most of those on board were either Spanish or German. | The remains of the rest of the victims will be sent back over the coming weeks. The passengers were from 18 countries, including Australia, Argentina and Japan, but most of those on board were either Spanish or German. |
| Families of the victims were angered last week after the repatriation of some of the bodies was delayed because of errors on the death certificates in France. | Families of the victims were angered last week after the repatriation of some of the bodies was delayed because of errors on the death certificates in France. |
| Lufthansa, which carried the remains of the 44 victims from Marseille on Tuesday night, is a parent company of budget airline Germanwings. | Lufthansa, which carried the remains of the 44 victims from Marseille on Tuesday night, is a parent company of budget airline Germanwings. |
| Prosecutors investigating the crash are looking into the possibility of launching a criminal case against the airlines for failing to recognise that Lubitz posed a danger, with reports of a history of depression, our correspondent in Duesseldorf says. | Prosecutors investigating the crash are looking into the possibility of launching a criminal case against the airlines for failing to recognise that Lubitz posed a danger, with reports of a history of depression, our correspondent in Duesseldorf says. |
| Random tests | |
| Earlier this month, French state prosecutor Brice Robin reportedly said Lubitz had attempted to speak to dozens of doctors ahead of the crash, but did not specify what the co-pilot was seeking help for. | Earlier this month, French state prosecutor Brice Robin reportedly said Lubitz had attempted to speak to dozens of doctors ahead of the crash, but did not specify what the co-pilot was seeking help for. |
| Mr Robin, who is leading the investigation, is due to meet the relatives on Thursday to discuss identification and the process of handing over the remains. | Mr Robin, who is leading the investigation, is due to meet the relatives on Thursday to discuss identification and the process of handing over the remains. |
| Both Germanwings and Lufthansa have previously said that Lubitz, 27, had passed all fitness to fly tests. | Both Germanwings and Lufthansa have previously said that Lubitz, 27, had passed all fitness to fly tests. |
| Lufthansa has also acknowledged that it knew the co-pilot had suffered from severe depression in 2009 while training for his pilot's licence. | |
| In the wake of the crash, investigators found torn-up sick notes and medical documents indicating medical treatment for "an existing illness". Lubitz was also found to have researched suicide methods and cockpit security in the days preceding the disaster. | |
| Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr has suggested the airline could introduce random psychological testing of pilots, but warned that "there might never be a foolproof response", Reuters reports. | |
| He was speaking at a meeting of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) in Miami from 7-9 June, discussing major airline issues. |