An Airbus plane operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline has crashed in southern France en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, with 150 people on board feared dead.
Germanwings has confirmed 144 passengers, and six crew members were on board flight 4U9525.
French prime minister Manuel Valls said a helicopter that reached the crash site confirmed there were no survivors.
French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that one of the black boxes from the plane has been found, raising hopes of determining the cause of the crash.
"A black box that we found a few hours after the crash will immediately be examined to help the investigation move forward quickly," he told reporters.
He said the crash site would be secured this evening to ensure emergency services could more easily enter the area.
