France Crash: 16 Victims From One School

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Sixteen children from the same school in Germany were on board the passenger plane that crashed in France carrying 150 people.

The children and their two teachers were returning to Dusseldorf after a week-long exchange trip with a school near to Barcelona.

As details of the disaster emerged, the emotional mayor of the German town Haltern Am See, where the children were students, said the news was "the worst that anyone could imagine."

Bodo Klimpel added: "This is the bleakest day in the school's history."

:: Live updates on the crash

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Gallery: School Head Weeps After 16 Students Die

Mourners gathered outside Joseph-Koenig in the German town of Haltern after news 16 children and two teachers from the school died in the French Alps plane crash.

School Principal Ulrich Wessel grieves with students in front of the secondary school.

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The children were returning to Dusseldorf after a week-long exchange trip with a school near to Barcelona.

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Pupils paid their respects to friends lost in the tragedy. Click through for more pictures.

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The mayor said some parents of the victims rushed to the Joseph-Koenig school after hearing news of the crash, while others drove to Dusseldorf.

Classes were cancelled as soon as details of the tragedy emerged, Mr Klimpel said.

"The town is deeply affected and saddened - it's in a state of shock that is palpable everywhere. It's the worst anyone could imagine," he said.

The school's headteacher Ulrich Wesse was photographed in tears outside the school along with pupils, as candles were lit in memory of the dead.

Mr Klimpel said that the school would be open as usual on Wednesday, where an assembly would be held to talk about the tragedy.

"There will not be normal classes - there will be an opportunity for children to talk about and process these terrible events.

"For our teachers this will also be a terribly difficult day - they lost two of their colleagues."

The Germanwings plane, which was travelling from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, crashed in the French Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne with 144 passengers and six crew on board.

The aircraft started descending one minute after reaching its cruising height and continued losing altitude for eight minutes.

There are not thought to be any survivors.

The school the children had visited was about 45 minutes from Barcelona, in the village of Llinars de Valles.

The village's mayor said: "There were 16 children and two teachers who had spent a week here, poor things.

"The children were aged about 15."

Meanwhile, at another news conference, Germanwings said there were two babies on the flight.

Sobbing and grieving families at both Barcelona and Dusseldorf airports were led away by airport workers and crisis counsellors.

A total of 67 Germans are believed to have been on board, as well as 45 Spaniards.

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