MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Andes tragedy: 3 days mourning in Chile

Chilean president Ricardo Lagos announced late Friday that search patrols were returning from the Andean mountains with the bodies of 13 soldiers meaning that at least 28 remain unaccounted for in spite of a huge land and air rescue operation.

President Lagos also announced three days national mourning and the cancelling of all official celebrations scheduled for the period.

Army Commander in Chief Juan Emilio Cheyre reacting to relatives' criticism and public opinion uproar admitted that the chances of recovering alive the still unaccounted for "were low" emphasizing "we haven't hidden information or are we going to restrict information, even if we commit mistakes".

"Our only objective is to rescue them alive, or not, with dignity as comrades of arms, that is our duty and the task we're involved in".

Last Wednesday a 485 strong battalion from a Mountain Regiment, mostly conscripts performing their mandatory year long military service, were surprised by a "snow tsunami" during exercises in the Andes in Los Angeles, 650 kilometres south of the country's capital Santiago.

Considered the worst tragedy ever of the Chilean Army, originally there were 95 missing, but later 30 were found, bringing the total down to 65 by late Thursday.

Friday other scattered groups were sighted and late Friday the number was down to less than thirty missing with the death toll reaching four plus thirteen, all frozen to death.

Defence Minister Jaime Ravinet said "there was a mistake" in ordering soldiers to march in the snow despite forecasts for a major blizzard and announced that a special investigator would "determine responsibilities".

General Cheyre reported that the commanders of the 17th Mountain Regiment plus the mayor in charge of the battalion will be dismissed for "lack of criteria and professional capacity".

"There's a command responsibility, there's responsibility for having ordered a march that should have never taken place with these climate conditions. The climatic phenomena does not diminish responsibility", said General Cheyre.

Rejecting the argument that making conscripts with only a month's instruction march 28 kilometres was dangerous, since this exercise has been formal training since the 1930s, General Cheyre did admit there was lack of criteria given the weather forecast.

"What should have never been done is order a march with the threat of climate conditions that change instantly", he stressed.

General Cheyre said he had ordered the Army's Prosecution to begin legal actions as well as an immediate internal investigation to establish the extent of the possible crimes committed.

Relatives accused the Army of trying to keep information from them and a conference by the regional Army commander was interrupted with shouts and insults.