CHILE – All 38 passengers on board the Chilean Air Force plane that went missing Monday on its way to Antarctica are presumed dead, according to Chilean Defense Minister Alberto Espina.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Espina said 32 members of the Chilean Air Force, three from the Chilean Army and three civilians were on the C-130 Hercules plane.
“I would like to express our condolences, support and the pain we are feeling for the human drama that the family of those who were on board are currently experiencing,” said Espina in Punta Arenas.
“Our duty is to, first of all, find all the remains and everything we can on the plane. Secondly, to do everything humanly possible so that there is no doubt about what happened in this accident.”
Chilean officials also confirmed some remains of the plane were found, including some of the wheels and some of the cloth interior wall coverings.
The C-130 Hercules aircraft had departed from the Chilean capital of Santiago and stopped briefly in Punta Arenas near the country’s southern tip, the Chilean Air Force said in a statement earlier this week. (CNN)