No Survivors from Missing Chilean Plane as Human Remains, Debris Found

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Chilean Air Force head Arturo Merino declared that there are no survivors among the 38 passengers of C-130 Hercules air force plane that went missing on Monday, according to a report published in BBC.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Merino said the Chilean-flagged vessel Antarctic Endeavour located human remains and debris believed to be part of the plane's fuel tanks in the Drake Passage, 30km from where the C-130 Hercules cargo plane had last made contact.

The added, the condition of the remains discovered indicates that it is impossible that anyone could have survived the plane accident.

In the same press conference, Governor José Fernández of Magallanes said they have already informed the relatives of those missing about the recent discovery.

Despite the devastating news, family members had gathered at a military base in Punta Arenas, the provincial capital of the sparsely populated southern region of Magallanes for closure and for immediate update regarding the rescue efforts, according to a report by CBS News.

On behalf of the Chilean government, Defense Minister Alberto Espina expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.

"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," he added.

Meanwhile, Air Force Commander Eduardo Mosqueira said the air force would conduct "corresponding checks" to further confirm if the wreckage was indeed from the missing plane. He added that the rescuers also found personal items believed to be carried by those on board.

The Brazilian government also sent a navy ship sent to help locate some debris. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday morning tweeted, "The Ministry of Defense reports that the Brazilian Navy Admiral Maximiano Polar Vessel collected around 3:45 pm personal items and wreckage compatible with the Chilean Air Force Hercules C-130 aircraft, which had been missing since dawn. Tuesday (10). ".

C-130 Hercules was en route from Punta Arenas to Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva base in the Antarctic on Monday. Communication with the aircraft was lost at 18:13 local time (21:13 GMT), shortly after the C-130 took off from Punta Arenas.

According to the map of the plane's flight path and a timeline released by the Chilean air force, the plane was due to land at 19:17 on Monday at Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva.

The Chilean government launched a massive search and rescue operations soon after the plane lost contact. Other countries have lent assistance to the operation: Argentina, Brazil, the United Kingdom and Uruguay have sent planes which so far has helped search 385 square miles around the plane's last known position which is a tempestuous body of water south of Cape Horn. Meanwhile, the United States and Israel have been providing satellite images.

According to an air force official, the passengers were composed of 15 air force members, three Chilean soldiers, two civilians employed by engineering and construction firm Inproser, and one student.

The C-130 is usually used by the air force to transport people and goods to their base in Antarctica.