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Tag: <span>tragedy</span>

The Ides of Germanwings: One Year Later

There is a time to go about our daily business. There is a time to set everything else aside, and just remember. Now it is time to remember.

Dusseldorf airport set aside a room for German family members of the 72 Germans who lost their lives on Flight 9525.

Today in Barcelona, flags were at half-mast and 149 candles lit as people gathered at Barcelona Airport to recall the victims of the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525. On 24 March 2015, one year ago as of tomorrow, Flight 9525 was en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf when it crashed in the French Alps, killing 144 passengers, two pilots, and four cabin crew. The tragedy was engineered by suicidal co-pilot Andreas Lubitz. Family members gathered here, as well as emergency workers and officials.

There were fifty-one Spanish lost in the crash. Four countries (including the US) lost three victims; seven countries lost two victims, and five countries lost one. I hope that all the families, where ever they live, found comfort somewhere.

On Thursday, the victims’ names will be read and remembered; flowers will be left at the Le Vernet cemetery which houses the accident’s unidentified remains. Six hundred Flight 9525 victim’s friends and family will have a commemoration ceremony in Le Vernet village in the French Alps not far from the crash site. Weather prevents a visit to the crash site.

I was in Le Vernet last July when 149 balloons were released. I can’t help but feel that I should be there again to support the families. I have just returned from Barcelona, and barely unpacked my bags. I can only hope that the year of mourning and grieving has been cathartic, and that the families are finding a way to embrace life again.


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MH17 Tragedy: US to Support Malaysia’s Resolution in ICAO Council

Malaysia’s Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has visited the U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in Washington DC on October 24.

In a statement released after the meeting, Liow thanked the US Government for supporting Malaysia in the aftermath of MH370 and MH17 tragedies. He announced that the US has promised to support a resolution to be put forward by Malaysia to the ICAO Council in the wake of MH17 disaster.

“Specifically the ICAO Resolution strongly reaffirms the need for all states to comply with international law that prohibits acts of violence that pose a threat to the safety of international civil aviation and stresses the importance of all states assisting with the continuation and finalisation of a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the incident…In light of these tragedies, it is clear that the international community must collaborate closely and take greater steps towards improving safety and security in civil aviation,” he said.

Liow will be attending the 203rd Session of the ICAO Council early next week in Montreal, Canada. Regarding the inputs to the ICAO Council, he said, “Malaysia intends to present its views and input to the ICAO Council, with a view towards seeking consensus on this matter…Among the matters I will put forward to the ICAO Council include the need to improve aircraft tracking by implementing real-time tracking as well as the need for sharing of information pertaining to flight risks.”

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