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Remains of 44 Victims of Germanwings Crash Are Flown Home to Germany Remains of Students Who Died in Germanwings Crash Are Returned Home
(about 5 hours later)
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. HALTERN AM SEE, Germany — As their friends held aloft white roses, a group of students returned home from a language exchange program that ended in tragedy when their Germanwings flight crashed in the French Alps more than two months ago. The German teens, their remains borne in white hearses, were among the first 44 of the 150 victims to be repatriated.
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. Hundreds of people in this town, about 50 miles from Düsseldorf and known before the crash mostly for its blue lake and web of hiking trails and cycling paths, pressed along the road leading to the students’ school on Wednesday, awaiting the procession of hearses bearing the coffins.
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. Hours before the cars arrived, a woman who would only give her name as Kerstin, “a fellow mama,” had scrambled to organize several hundred white candles and roses that were later held high by townspeople and classmates in a silent tribute.
After 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. “It should look nice when the children finally come home,” she said, as she begged bystanders to help keep the candles lit against the breeze.
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 mountainside where the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, is believed to have deliberately steered the Airbus A320, headed to Düsseldorf from Barcelona, Spain.
The 16 high school students were among the first of the 72 German dead to be repatriated. Along with two teachers, they had been on their way home from an exchange with a partner school near Barcelona. All together, the 150 victims were from at least 18 different countries, with several holding dual passports.
“It is a difficult day because we are again intensively confronted with this terrible tragedy, but it is also a good day,” said Bodo Klimpel, the town’s mayor. “There is a certain relief that the families, after waiting so long, now have their children back and are able to lay them to rest.”
Heinz Joachim Schöttes, a spokesman for Germanwings, said that all the crew members, except Mr. Lubitz, were among those repatriated on Wednesday. Mr. Lubitz’s family had arranged for his remains to be returned separately, he said.
After a brief ceremony at a hangar at the airport, when the families had time alone at the coffins, each marked with a photograph, they departed for their home cities. Most of the Haltern families took part in the organized procession, under police escort, that ended in front of the school, Joseph-König-Gymnasium.
Elmar Giemulla, a lawyer who is representing many of the victims’ families, including those from Haltern, said the repatriation was an important psychological step.Elmar Giemulla, a lawyer 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. After the final hearse rounded the corner beyond the school, sobs could be heard as parents comforted their children and small groups of teens supported one another in tightly wound hugs. Many brought their roses and placed them before a row of 18 saplings planted in memory of the classmates and teachers who died in the crash. A plaque bearing their names will 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. Mr. Klimpel said the city was planning a separate memorial at the town’s main cemetery in the fall. In the meantime, some students have expressed their grief on a German memorial website.
“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.
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.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 programs and attending work placements abroad,” the foundation’s website says.“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.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 returned for burial in the coming weeks.