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Remains of 44 Victims of Germanwings Crash Are Flown Home to Germany Remains of 44 Victims of Germanwings Crash Are Flown Home to Germany
(35 minutes later)
BERLIN — After weeks of waiting and wondering when they could begin to seek closure, the families of 44 of the 150 victims from a Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps more than two months ago were preparing on Wednesday to receive the remains of their loved ones. HALTERN AM SEE, Germany — After weeks of waiting and wondering when they could begin to seek closure, the families of 44 of the 150 victims from a Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps more than two months ago were preparing on Wednesday to receive the remains of their loved ones.
A Lufthansa cargo plane carrying the coffins of many German victims landed late Tuesday at Düsseldorf Airport from Marseille, France. French investigators have spent the past 11 weeks sifting through evidence recovered from the site where the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, is believed to have deliberately steered the Airbus A320 into a mountainside. A Lufthansa cargo plane carrying the coffins of many of the German victims landed late Tuesday at Düsseldorf Airport from Marseille, France. French investigators have spent the past 11 weeks sifting through evidence recovered from the site where the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, is believed to have deliberately steered the Airbus A320, headed to Düsseldorf from Barcelona, Spain, into a mountainside.
Among the first of the 72 German dead to be repatriated were 16 high school students from the town of Haltern am See, about 50 miles from Düsseldorf. The group of 10th graders, along with two teachers, had been on their way home from a Spanish language exchange with a partner school near Barcelona. Among the first of the 72 German dead to be repatriated were 16 high school students from the town of Haltern am See, about 50 miles from Düsseldorf. The group of 10th graders, along with two teachers, had been on its way home from a Spanish language exchange with a partner school near Barcelona.
Following a brief ceremony at a hangar at the airport, the families will be allowed to collect their loved ones and depart for their home cities. Many of the families from Haltern have organized a procession to bring the students home later on Wednesday.Following a brief ceremony at a hangar at the airport, the families will be allowed to collect their loved ones and depart for their home cities. Many of the families from Haltern have organized a procession to bring the students home later on Wednesday.
Elmar Giemulla, an attorney who is representing many of the victims’ families, including those from Haltern, said the repatriation was an important psychological step.Elmar Giemulla, an attorney who is representing many of the victims’ families, including those from Haltern, said the repatriation was an important psychological step.
“For a lot of these people, they still have the last image in their mind of their children waving goodbye from the airport” on their way to Spain, Mr. Giemulla said. “This is why getting back the remains is so important. Now they see the coffins and they know their children are inside. They are confronted with reality.”“For a lot of these people, they still have the last image in their mind of their children waving goodbye from the airport” on their way to Spain, Mr. Giemulla said. “This is why getting back the remains is so important. Now they see the coffins and they know their children are inside. They are confronted with reality.”
The procession, a motorcade of white hearses, is expected to pass by the victims’ school, Joseph-König-Gymnasium, where 18 young trees now stand in memory of the classmates and teachers lost in the crash. A plaque bearing their names will also be added to the memorial said Ulrich Wessel, the school principal. The procession, a motorcade of white hearses, is expected to pass by the victims’ school, Joseph-König-Gymnasium, where 18 young trees now stand in memory of the classmates and teachers lost in the crash. A plaque bearing their names will also be added to the memorial, said Ulrich Wessel, the school principal.
“You were such a great friend! You were always so happy, no matter how much the others annoyed you,” wrote one person, who gave her name only as Melina, beside the image of a green candle to her friend, Elena Bless, on a German memorial website where some of the students have expressed their grief.“You were such a great friend! You were always so happy, no matter how much the others annoyed you,” wrote one person, who gave her name only as Melina, beside the image of a green candle to her friend, Elena Bless, on a German memorial website where some of the students have expressed their grief.
Annette and Martin Bless, the parents of Elena, who died a day before her 16th birthday, have set up a foundation in their daughter’s memory with the aim of helping other students take part in language exchanges. “According to Elena’s wishes the foundation shall support other pupils participating in school exchange programmes and attending work placements abroad,” the foundation’s website says. Annette and Martin Bless, the parents of Elena, who died a day before her 16th birthday, have set up a foundation in their daughter’s memory with the aim of helping other students take part in language exchanges.
Many of the Haltern victims were set to be buried later this week, although some families rescheduled their funeral plans after Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, told them that the repatriation would be delayed because of a bureaucratic error on some of the death certificates. The error was rectified in just two days, however, allowing the initial repatriations to take place as originally planned. “According to Elena’s wishes, the foundation shall support other pupils participating in school exchange programs and attending work placements abroad,” the foundation’s website says.
Many of the Haltern victims were set to be buried this week, although some families rescheduled their funeral plans after Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, told them that the repatriation would be delayed because of a bureaucratic error on some of the death certificates. The error was rectified in two days, however, allowing the initial repatriations to take place as originally planned.
Lufthansa said the remains of the other victims would be repatriated for burial in the coming weeks.Lufthansa said the remains of the other victims would be repatriated for burial in the coming weeks.