A Chilean military plane that was lost three days ago crashed into the sea off Antarctica. In the search for the machine body parts and remnants of the machine had been found, said the armed forces of the South American country.
"It is virtually impossible that there are survivors of this disaster," said Air Force chief Arturo Merino on Thursday. On board the machine were at the time of the accident 38 people.
In the search mission in the Drakestraße between South America and the Antarctic, among other things, a spare wheel, parts of the interior lining, a part of the tank system and two bags, a shoe and a backpack were found.
On Monday, the contact with the C-130 Hercules, which was from Punta Arenas in the Patagonia region to the Antarctic base Presidente Frei was demolished. On board were 17 crew members and 21 passengers. The machine was used to transport personnel to do maintenance work on a pipeline.
The remains of search ships were found 30 kilometers south of the position from which the C-130 Hercules had radioed for the last time on Monday. The search operation involved 14 ships and 23 aircraft and helicopters. In addition, satellites from several countries were used. The first debris was found by the Chilean fishing vessel "Antartic Endeavor" and the Brazilian polar ship "Almirante Maximiano".
The Chilean government announced extensive investigations into the disaster. "When 38 compatriots die, the least we can do is find out the truth," said Defense Secretary Alberto Espina.