Plane flying from Spain to Germany crashes in France, 150 onboard

An Airbus plane owned and operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline carrying 144 passengers and six crew has crashed in southern France this morning. The airbus A320 airplane was flying from Barcelona, Spain to Duesseldorf, Germany when it disappeared from radar in the Alpes de Hautes Province after sending a distress signal at 10.47am local time.

Everyone on board are feared dead after debris from the plane was discovered scattered over a wild area near Barcelonnette hours later. The cause of the crash is not yet clear.

The airplane disappeared from radar in the Alpes de Hautes Provence (above) in the southern French Alps 

French President Francois Hollande stated that "There were around 148 people on board. The situation of the accident, which have not yet been clarified, lead us to think there are no survivors."

He further said there was likely to be a significant high number of Germans on the flight from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. He added: "The accident happened in a zone that is particularly hard to access. I am seeking information about homes in the area it came down. It's difficult place to access. In the meantime solidarity must prevail.' 

The crashed A320 is believed to be 24 years old and has been with the parent Lufthansa group since 1991, according to online database