A Chilean Air Force plane with 38 people aboard that went missing during a flight to Antarctica has been presumed to have suffered a crash.
The Chilean Air Force has presumed the plane, which went missing on Monday night on its way to Antarctica, to have crashed.
In a televised press conference, General Francisco Torres said: "The plane is presumed to have crashed, given that the amount of fuel and the plane's autonomy had already run out. Given that, it is already assumed that the plane has crashed."
The C-130 Hercules aircraft left the country's capital Santiago before making a quick stop in Punta Arenas to the south of Chile. It was on its way to the country's Antarctic base before losing radio contact around 6 p.m. local time near the Drake Passage, situated between the tip of South America and Antarctica.
According to the Air Force, the plane's last known position was approximately 390 nautical miles from Punta Arenas and 280 nautical miles from the Antarctic base. Aboard the plane were 17 crew members and 21 other passengers, who will be performing "logistical support tasks" such as repairing the floating oil pipeline that provides fuel for the base.
Aside from the crew members, the passengers were personnel from the armed forces, an engineering firm, and the University of Magallanes.
After it lost contact with the aircraft, the Air Force declared a state of alert and mobilized a search and rescue team. It activated resources in Santiago and the Magallanes region in southern Chile.
In a tweet, Chile President Sebastian Pinera said that he is coordinating with security officials in Cerrillos to monitor the rescue operation. Rescuers include air and maritime authorities who are surveying the area of the plane's last known location to look for survivors.
The Air Force are also informing the families of the passengers on board about the accident.
