A Chilean military plane crashed Friday in the Juan Fernandez islands off Chile’s Pacific coast with 21 people aboard, including a popular television host, authorities said.
The CASA military plane tried twice to land at the airport on the remote island but strong wind gusts buffeted the aircraft and it later was lost from sight, said Felipe Paredes, a local council member who was in the airport’s control tower at the time.
Rescuers in boats were searching for the plane, but the mayor of Juan Fernandez, Leopoldo Gonzalez, said some luggage had been found in the water and it was clear the plane crashed. “We assume that there was an accident and that there are no survivors,” he said.
President Sebastian Pinera expressed sadness. “This is a blow to our country. In these times of anguish and uncertainty is when unity is most needed,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment