Mariano Rajoy regrets "dramatic" plane crash in French Alps

Vitoria (Spain)

Although the President of the Government did not wish to quote any specific details about the accident because all information is "preliminary" at this time, he did stress that this is a "dramatic and dreadfully sad turn of events, with heavy casualties".

He announced that he has instructed the Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, to immediately set up a crisis cabinet and said that the Minister for Public Works, Ana Pastor, will shortly travel to the crash site.

He went on to add that he has already spoken by telephone with King Felipe VI, who is on an official trip to France; the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel; the President of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas; and the leader of the opposition, Pedro Sánchez.

The President of the Government, who was in Vitoria to inaugurate the Victims of Terrorism Memorial Centre and officially open the new headquarters of the Treasury of the Social Security system, cancelled his agenda to return to Madrid.

The crashed Airbus A320 was owned by Germanwings - a subsidiary of the German airline Lufthansa. It had taken off from Barcelona Airport at approximately 10 o'clock in the morning to fly to Düsseldorf. 142 passengers and 6 crew members were travelling on board.