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| Germanwings crash: Cortege brings school victims home | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A cortege carrying the coffins of German schoolchildren killed in the Germanwings plane crash is travelling to their home town of Haltern. | |
| Earlier, relatives of 44 of the 150 victims viewed the coffins inside a hangar at Duesseldorf airport. | |
| 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 had been returning from an exchange trip in Barcelona when the plane crashed. | |
| Flags on the town hall are at half-mast and residents have placed flowers along the route of the cortege. | |
| Germanwings: The unanswered questions | Germanwings: The unanswered questions |
| Who were the victims? | Who were the victims? |
| A lawyer representing the families told the BBC's Anna Holligan in Duesseldorf that the arrival of the remains will help parents to accept the reality that their children will not be coming home. | |
| "This entire event is a tragedy, especially for the parents, but we too lost our students and colleagues," Ulrich Wessel, principal of Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium, told the Associated Press news agency. | "This entire event is a tragedy, especially for the parents, but we too lost our students and colleagues," Ulrich Wessel, principal of Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium, told the Associated Press news agency. |
| In their year group, he continued, "there used to be 150 students, now they are only 134... Many lost their best friends". | In their year group, he continued, "there used to be 150 students, now they are only 134... Many lost their best friends". |
| The remains of the rest of the victims will be repatriated 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 repatriated 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 transported the remains of the 44 victims from Marseille on Tuesday night, is a parent company of budget airline Germanwings. | Lufthansa, which transported 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 that he had 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 that he had a history of depression, our correspondent in Duesseldorf says. |
| Random tests | 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 some of the victims' 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 some of the victims' 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. | 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. | 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. | 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, discussing major airline issues. | He was speaking at a meeting of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) in Miami, discussing major airline issues. |