Paris

A FRENCH prosecutor on Thursday formally opened a criminal inquiry into the crash of a Germanwings jetliner, appointing a panel of judges to investigate whether the airline or any individuals should bear responsibility for failing to adequately monitor the psychological health of the plane's co-pilot, who is believed to have deliberately crashed the plane.

Brice Robin, the public prosecutor from the southern city of Marseille, who is in charge of the case, announced the news after meeting about 250 relatives of the crash victims.