MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Two Argentines lost in Antarctic crevasse

Two Argentines out of a group of five remain lost in an Antarctic crevasse in King George Island, while the other three were rescued on Sunday by a Chilean Air Force helicopter.

The three could have been rescued on Saturday but decided to remain next to the so far unfathomable crevasse which virtually gobbled their lost companions.

A new rescue attempt has been scheduled as soon as Antarctic weather conditions improve, although all contact with the two Argentines was lost Saturday when the accident occurred.

Chilean Air Force personnel doubt the two could be still alive given the extreme conditions and the 24 hours elapsed since the accident was reported. Besides the area is "full of crevasses and cracks" report the survivors which makes operations particularly difficult.

During Saturday operations the Chilean Air Force supplied ropes thirty metres long but apparently they were insufficient to reach the bottom of the crevasse.

The three survivors were flown to the Eduardo Frei base and are in "good health conditions" according to the medical report.

According to Argentine sources the accident occurred 12 kilometres from the Argentine base Jubany, on the Collins glacier, when the group of four naval officers and a scientist were returning from the Uruguayan base General Artigas.

Sergio Policastro head of Argentine Antarctic Directorate Institutional Relations said that the missing naval officer and scientist are considered disappeared because "probably they have died of hypothermia" given the 24 hours in the crevasse and injuries they must have suffered when the fall.