• Heading to Antarctica.A Chilean military plane disappears with 38 people on board

Without news of the missing plane despite the intense search operation, the hopes of the Chilean government, although minimal, focus on at least some of the 38 passengers surviving what is emerging as a tragedy in one of the most dangerous seas of the world.

"What I want to ask you in the first place is that we exhaust all the means of search, to make every effort to find the plane and hopefully also survivors," Chilean President Sebastian Piñera said on Tuesday afternoon during a videoconference with the Defense Minister Alberto Espina, and the commander-in-chief of the Chilean Air Force, Arturo Merino, who from the southern city of Punta Arenas lead the search for the Hercules plane that was lost with 38 crew and passengers while flying to Antarctica .

"They have all the support of the Government and of all Chileans in this difficult work and difficult circumstances that we are facing," added Piñera, whose popularity is on the ground since the social outbreak that Chile experienced since October 18. The Chilean head of state had to cancel his visit to Argentina, where he planned to attend the assumption of Alberto Fernández as president.

The Chilean Air Force considered the plane damaged when its flight autonomy was fulfilled according to the amount of fuel it loaded, although, according to Francisco Torres, director of operations of the Air Force, the possibility that the plane could have failed Amerizar, since it is a "procedure established in all types of aircraft".

The plane has four engines and can fly even if some of them fail, the general added, adding that the weather conditions were good.

Merino was somewhat less optimistic. "I will not rule out anything, because it would be very bad to do so, that is going to be determined by the investigation, there are all the possibilities open." When asked why the plane's warning systems did not work, Merino explained that "there may be several hypotheses." "This system acts on the impact of the aircraft. Many times when the impacts are too strong in the water and the plane sinks quickly it is not able to emit a signal, that could be a possibility."

Airplanes and rescue boats from several countries frantically search for the plane in the waters south of the country, on the way to Antarctica. Piñera stressed that both President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Fernandez of Argentina "offered all the help that is necessary." Chile also has the collaboration of countries such as the United States, Israe, France and Uruguay.

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  • Chile
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