An Airbus passenger plane with around 140 people on board has crashed in the French Alps, according to reports.

The crash is believed to have happened near the town of Digne and is thought to involve an Airbus A320 flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf operated by airline Germanwings.

In a statement on Twitter the airline said: "We have recently become aware of media reports speculating on an incident though we still do not have any own confirmed information.

"As soon as definite information is available, we shall inform the media immediately."

It is thought the plane was carrying 142 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew.

Germanwings is a low-cost airline owned by giant German carrier Lufthansa, with its headquarters in Cologne.

Francois Hollande, president of France, said in a statement that none of the people on board the plance are expected to have survived.