• Chile.The discovery of remains of the plane and of human bodies confirms the accident of the Chilean Hercules

The Chilean government today killed the 38 crew members of the Hercules C-130 plane missing on Monday night when it flew from Punta Arenas to Antarctica. Although all the hypotheses are still open, a WhatsApp audio sent by a passenger to his mother in flight speaks of a "power failure" that the Chilean Air Force (FACh) at the moment could not confirm.

"The condition of the found wreckage of the plane makes it virtually impossible for survivors to this plane crash," said FACh commander-in-chief Arturo Merino at a press conference in Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of the country, together to the Minister of Defense, Alberto Espina.

On Wednesday night, the discovery of plane wreckage and human bodies in the Drake Sea confirmed that the flight of the Hercules C-130 towards Antarctica ended in tragedy.

"The Air Force has confirmed to us an unfortunate news: they have found themselves in the Drake Sea floating plane wreckage and also part of the bodies of the people who were on board," said the mayor of the Magellan region, José Fernández.

According to El Mercurio , the regional chief added "that he does not have the information on how many bodies or to whom the remains correspond."

Today, Espina promised to continue the investigation until the causes of the accident were found. "When 38 compatriots die the least one can do is find the truth and that must be done against all odds . "

Merino confirmed that the ships in charge of tracking the accident area, 500 kilometers south of the Argentine city of Ushuaia, "continued to find" remains of the plane and human beings today. "It is very likely that they are part of those who were traveling on the wrecked C-130 aircraft. Later forensic expert opinions will allow identification.

On board the Hercules that was headed to the Chilean base Eduardo Frei Montalva were flying three civilians, three members of the Army and 32 members of the FACh.

"The relatives and the country deserve to know exactly what happened," said Espina, who thanked the support received by Chile in the search operation of the wrecked plane, which involved 640 people: "Thank God we found the plane and for this 23 air means, 14 naval means and eight international agencies with satellite capabilities have been arranged ".

In the audio sent by WhatsApp, which was confirmed by the FACh, one of the crew ensures that the plane had "an electrical failure" and that "the itinerary should be maintained until landing on the white continent."

"The audio I know exists, I have not heard in particular, but I know it exists," said Minister Espina. "And obviously we will pass this audio to the general who is in charge of the administrative summary investigation and the prosecutor as well."

Merino said there were no signs that revealed an electrical failure in the Hercules. "There is a part of the log that goes up the plane, obviously, and that is the flight log of the plane where those failures are recorded. There are also other antecedents that go through an automatic computer system for that failure, if that there is a fault, be registered. "

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