THE SEARCH CONTINUES for the bodies of the 150 victims of Germanwings Flight 4U952 which crashed in the French Alps yesterday afternoon.
We know 67 Germans were on board and 45 people with Spanish names were on the flight. People from the US, Colombia, Argentina, Australia and the UK were on the plane and it is thought passengers from the Netherlands, Turkey and Japan may also have perished in the disaster.
Over the last few hours, the identities of some of the victims have been made public, as their families express their shock and devastation in the face of this tragedy.
Among the German citizens killed were 16 German teenagers and their teachers, returning home from a school trip. Classmates and teachers have been leaving flowers and candles outside the school in western Germany.
Three British victims of the crash were named today as Martyn Matthews, Paul Bramley and seven-month-old baby Julian Pracz-Bandres. Matthews was travelling on business and 28-year-old Bramley was a student.
Baby Julian’s mother, Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio was travelling with the infant. The 37-year-old woman had been living in Manchester but returned to Spain for her uncle’s funeral.
She and her baby took the flight to Germany because she could not get a direct flight back to Manchester, local media report, and she intended to change flights in Dusseldorf.
A Spanish college, which the woman is thought to have attended, posted a tribute to her on Facebook.
“Our most sincere condolences to the family of Marina Banderes Lopez-Belio”.
Some of the teachers from this school saw her grow in our classrooms and have strong memories of it.
Her husband Pawel Pracz had been waiting to meet them in Manchester and said he was “devastated” by his loss, The Telegraph reported.
The two Australians who died in the plane crash have been named as mother and son Carol and Greig Friday from Victoria.
The 68-year-old nurse and her 29-year-old son were holidaying in Europe before Greig was due to start teaching English abroad, ABC reports.
In a statement, their family said they were “crippled with sadness”.
Carol was a loving mother of two, a devoted wife to her husband, Dave, and a sister to three brothers. She celebrated her 68th birthday on March 23.
Greig was to turn 30 on 23 April. He was a loving son to Carol and Dave and an exceptional brother to his sister, Alex. He was adored by all his family and friends.Carol and Greig were enjoying a few weeks holiday together at the start of his European stay where Greig was to teach English this year.
They were both extraordinary and exceptional people who were loved by many, who they loved in return. They will forever be with us in our hearts, memories and dreams.
Spanish media named Carles Milla Masanas, Joseph Sabaté Casellas and Enric Guiot, as well as Pilar Vicente Sebastían who was on her way to visit her two children in Germany.
Well-known opera singers Oleg Bryjak and Maria Radner were also among those killed in the Germanwings crash.
Both singers had performed on stage in Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu but their show ended Monday. The Guardian reports Radner’s husband and baby were also on board the flight.
Tributes have been paid to the two performers by people in the music industry across the world.
The Colombian government named María del Pilar Tejada and Luis Eduardo Medano as citizens who were lost to the tragedy.
Three people from Kazakhstan – Erbol and Adil Imankulov and Aizhan Isengaliyev – were also killed.
Two Argentinians, three Mexicans, two Japanese, one Turkish national, one Belgian and one Dutch passenger were also confirmed as being among the dead, The Guardian reports. Their names have not been released.
Just this afternoon the US State Department confirmed two Americans died in the plane disaster. Spokesperson Jen Psaki said US officials were “deeply saddened” by the news.
It is expected the rescue operation will take at least a week, as crews work in an extremely difficult terrain, and it will be several days after that before the bodies can be repatriated.
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