The aircraft smashed into the mountain at 435mph, exploding instantly and scattering aircraft and human debris over at least two hectares of precipitous rock.
Since Wednesday, the day after flight 4U9525 crashed into the southern Alps, aerial pictures have shown gendarmes picking through what looked like small pieces of litter.
The French described the painstaking task as the “travail de fourmi”, literally the work of an ant, suggesting patience and perseverance.
It was difficult to use ordinary words to describe their grim findings, words that would not cause further distress to already grief-stricken families.
Touron admitted that even for those used to dealing with death, the search had been emotionally charged. “When you have a body to examine, you know what you’re dealing with, but you become technical and get on with it. But the effect is cumulative and exhausting,” he said.
“We’ve had some people join us who are not used to working with body parts and it’s been difficult for them. We have a team of psychologists on hand, and we also make sure we all eat together and speak about what has shocked us.”
Germanwings crash: ?the overriding feeling is one of injustice,? says officer with grim task of retrieving the dead | World news | The Guardian
Thank you Colonel Touron and all those with you.