The President of the Generalitat, Artur Mas visited the crash site of Germanwings flight 4U 9525 which was travelling from Barcelona to Düsseldorf, together with French president François Hollande, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy. Both President Mas and Prime Minister Rajoy travelled together to the French Alps on board the same flight on Wednesday morning.

In declarations to the press, the President of the Catalan Government expressed feeling “sadness and shock” by the tragedy and stressed that the visit to the site of the accident “is above all else, a sign of respect for the victims and the families who have lost their loved ones”.

Chancellor Merkel, Prime Minister Rajoy and Presidents Mas and Hollande, visited the centre of operations in Seyne-les-Alpes where they met with the heads of the rescue teams involved in the mission. The Catalan president spoke with various emergency workers and expressed his gratitude for their efforts in this important task.

After visiting the area of the crash, the European leaders visited the Seyne-les-Alpes youth centre, which had been made into a silent makeshift chapel and remembrance centre, to sign the book of condolences for the victims.