Chilean authorities confirmed on Friday that a small ambulance aircraft carrying six people has been found crashed near the town of Curacaví, west of the capital Santiago. Tragically, there were no survivors.

The plane, which had gone missing on Wednesday afternoon during a medical flight from Santiago to the northern city of Arica, was located after an intensive search operation led by the Chilean Air Force (FACH).

“We extend our condolences to the families, friends, and all those mourning the loss of these six compatriots,” said Gonzalo Durán, presidential delegate for the Metropolitan Region, in a press statement.

The Chilean Air Force announced that it had immediately mobilized personnel and resources upon receiving the report of the missing aircraft. The search effort involved coordination between multiple agencies, including local emergency response teams and the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics.

The wreckage was discovered in a remote area near Curacaví, a mountainous region that posed significant challenges for search crews.

The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics confirmed that the aircraft had disappeared from radar during its journey northward. Authorities have not yet disclosed the identities of the victims, who are believed to include medical personnel and crew.

The public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the cause of the crash, and forensic teams have been deployed to the scene to examine the wreckage and recover the remains.

As the nation mourns the loss, officials have pledged a full and transparent inquiry to determine what led to the tragic accident. (ILKHA)