Chilean Air Force plane presumed crashed on its way to Antarctica - CNN

"The plane is presumed to have crashed, given that the amount of fuel and the plane's autonomy had already run out. Given that, it is already assumed that the plane has crashed," said Gen. Francisco Torres in a televised press conference.

The C-130 Hercules aircraft had departed from the Chilean capital of Santiago and stopped briefly in Punta Arenas near the country's southern tip, the Chilean Air Force said in a statement. The four-engine aircraft then continued toward the country's Antarctic base before losing radio contact around 6 p.m. local time near the Drake Passage, the body of water between the tip of South America and Antarctica.

Its last known position was about 390 nautical miles from Punta Arenas and 280 nautical miles from the Antarctic base, according to the Air Force.

There were 17 crew members and 21 other passengers on board, who were on their way to perform "logistical support tasks" such as repairing the floating oil pipeline that provides fuel for the base, said the Air Force.

In addition to crew members, the plane was also carrying personnel from the armed forces, an engineering firm, and the University of Magallanes.

After the plane lost contact, the Air Force declared a state of alert and mobilized a search and rescue team, activating Air Force resources in Santiago and the Magallanes region in southern Chile. President Sebastian Pinera tweeted on Tuesday that he was conferring with security officials in Cerrillos to monitor the rescue operation.

Air and maritime authorities are still searching for survivors in the area of the plane's last known location and informing the families of the passengers on board, the Air Force said.

The C-130 is considered a workhorse of modern militaries around the globe. The four-engine turboprop is used transport troops, equipment and cargo. The planes can carry up to 42,000 pounds of cargo or about 90 combat troops.

The first C-130 Hercules entered into service in the US Air Force in the 1950s. However the more modern "H" and "J" model variants were introduced in the 1970s and 1990s, respectively.

CNN's Joshua Berlinger, Gerardo Lemos, and Taylor Barnes contributed to this report

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2019-12-10 08:48:00Z
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Chilean Air Force plane presumed crashed on its way to Antarctica - CNN

"The plane is presumed to have crashed, given that the amount of fuel and the plane's autonomy had already run out. Given that, it is already assumed that the plane has crashed," said Gen. Francisco Torres in a televised press conference.

The C-130 Hercules aircraft had departed from the Chilean capital of Santiago and stopped briefly in Punta Arenas near the country's southern tip, the Chilean Air Force said in a statement. The four-engine aircraft then continued toward the country's Antarctic base before losing radio contact around 6 p.m. local time near the Drake Passage, the body of water between the tip of South America and Antarctica.

Its last known position was about 390 nautical miles from Punta Arenas and 280 nautical miles from the Antarctic base, according to the Air Force.

There were 17 crew members and 21 other passengers on board, who were on their way to perform "logistical support tasks" such as repairing the floating oil pipeline that provides fuel for the base, said the Air Force.

In addition to crew members, the plane was also carrying personnel from the armed forces, an engineering firm, and the University of Magallanes.

After the plane lost contact, the Air Force declared a state of alert and mobilized a search and rescue team, activating Air Force resources in Santiago and the Magallanes region in southern Chile. President Sebastian Pinera tweeted on Tuesday that he was conferring with security officials in Cerrillos to monitor the rescue operation.

Air and maritime authorities are still searching for survivors in the area of the plane's last known location and informing the families of the passengers on board, the Air Force said.

The C-130 is considered a workhorse of modern militaries around the globe. The four-engine turboprop is used transport troops, equipment and cargo. The planes can carry up to 42,000 pounds of cargo or about 90 combat troops.

The first C-130 Hercules entered into service in the US Air Force in the 1950s. However the more modern "H" and "J" model variants were introduced in the 1970s and 1990s, respectively.

CNN's Joshua Berlinger, Gerardo Lemos, and Taylor Barnes contributed to this report

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2019-12-10 08:13:00Z
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Chilean Air Force plane missing on its way to Antarctica - CNN

The C-130 Hercules aircraft had departed from the Chilean capital of Santiago and stopped briefly in Punta Arenas near the country's southern tip, the Air Force said in a statement. The four-engine aircraft then continued toward the country's Antarctic base before losing radio contact around 6 p.m. local time near the Drake Passage, the body of water between the tip of South America and Antarctica.

There were 17 crew members and 21 other passengers on board, who were on their way to perform "logistical support tasks" such as repairing the floating oil pipeline that provides fuel for the base, said the Chilean Air Force.

In addition to crew members, the plane was also carrying personnel from the armed forces, an engineering firm, and the University of Magallanes.

After the plane lost contact, the Air Force declared a state of alert and mobilized a search and rescue team, activating Air Force resources in Santiago and the Magallanes region in southern Chile. President Sebastian Pinera tweeted on Tuesday that he was conferring with security officials in Cerrillos to monitor the rescue operation.

Air and maritime authorities are still searching for survivors in the area of the plane's last known location and informing the families of the passengers on board, the Air Force said.

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2019-12-10 06:38:00Z
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Five dead, many missing and ‘no signs of life’ after volcanic eruption on popular New Zealand island - The Washington Post

Police do not believe there are any survivors among the missing, following what scientists called a “throat-clearing kind of eruption.”

“No signs of life have been seen at any point,” New Zealand Police said in a statement. “Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation. Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island.”

Deputy Commissioner John Tims said at a news conference that he didn’t know how many are still unaccounted for, estimating that figure to be in the “double digits.”

Tims said search efforts were delayed for the night after experts deemed the island unstable. The New Zealand military is expected to examine the perimeter of the island at first light on Tuesday, with drones and other equipment.

“No signs of life have been seen at any point,” according to a statement the police issued shortly after midnight on Tuesday local time.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters at an earlier news conference that both New Zealanders and foreign visitors were on or around the island in the Bay of Plenty when the volcano erupted. White Island, which bills itself as “New Zealand’s most active volcano,” is uninhabited, but frequented by tourists.

“I know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who have loved ones on or around the island at the time, and I can assure them police are doing everything they can,” said Ardern, who planned to travel to the island along with New Zealand’s Minister of Civil Defense, Peeni Henare.

When Lauren Urey called her parents Monday, the 32-year-old newlywed was excited. The Royal Caribbean cruise ship that Lauren and her husband, Matthew, were spending their honeymoon on had just docked in Tauranga, New Zealand, and the couple from Richmond had an action-packed day ahead of them.

“She said they were going to the volcano,” Lauren’s mother Barbara Barham told The Washington Post. “My husband was joking around and said, ‘I hope it’s not a live volcano.’ ”

Actually, Lauren responded, it is. The Ureys had plans to visit White Island, but Lauren and Matthew, 36, “weren’t concerned that there was any chance of an eruption,” Barham said.

The American couple were rushed to a hospital with severe burn injuries, Barham said, but their families have since heard no updates about their condition.

A number of visitors to the island during the eruption came from the Ureys’ cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas, which offered an excursion to the volcano. In a statement, the New Zealand Cruise Association’s CEO Kevin O’Sullivan extended “heartfelt concern to the passengers and their families.”

Photos of the volcano’s crater rim minutes before the eruption showed people walking nearby, the New Zealand Herald reported.

One video taken of the eruption from a boat offshore captured thick clouds rising from the island. A voice could be heard frantically telling passengers to go inside the boat’s cabin. In another clip, the island appeared to be completely enveloped by ash.

My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001. My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable. #whiteisland pic.twitter.com/QJwWi12Tvt

— Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019

New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency warned on Twitter on Monday that it was “hazardous in the immediate vicinity of the volcano” and urged people to pay attention to detailed safety advice, adding: “Act on it promptly.”

The same dangerous conditions prevented police and rescue services from reaching the island, Tims said, with experts warning that more eruptions could be possible.

Barham told The Post she and her husband, who live southeast of Richmond, had no idea that chaos was unfolding halfway around the world — and that their daughter was involved. Then, Barham said she got a call from Royal Caribbean shortly after midnight Monday Eastern time asking her if she had heard from Lauren. The newlyweds hadn’t returned to their cruise ship after the volcano tour and were missing.

Soon, Barham’s phone was ringing again. It was Matthew’s mother, and she had just received a distressing voice mail from him.

“Her son called and said that they had been on the excursion and there had been a volcano eruption and they were burned very bad,” Barham said. “He said he would try to call as soon as he could, but talking and making phone calls was difficult. His hands were so badly burned it was hard for him to make a phone call.”

In the voice mail, Matthew said he and Lauren, who also suffered similar injuries, had been taken to a hospital. Their families haven’t heard from them since, Barham said.

“Obviously, I’m panicking,” she said. “I don’t know how to act. I feel like I should be crying, but I can’t even cry.”

But as Barham tuned into news coverage about the eruption, the shock began to give way to anger. Experts had reported increased volcanic activity on the island weeks before Monday’s incident.

“I’m just livid,” she said. “There’s been warnings about it. … My son-in-law never would have booked the excursion if he knew there was any chance of them being injured.”

GeoNet, an agency that provides geological hazard information for New Zealand, issued multiple reports of “volcanic unrest” on the island, going as far back as late October.

“Moderate volcanic unrest continues at Whakaari/White Island, with substantial gas, steam and mud bursts observed at the vent located at the back of the crater lake,” stated a report from last Tuesday.

During the news conference, Ardern declined to answer a question about whether visitors should have been allowed to go to the island.

“In this moment in time, the absolute focus needs to be the search and rescue operation,” she said. “There will be a time and a place to undertake further assessments. Now, we have to focus on allowing the police to do their job and focus on those who were in the vicinity of the island at the time.”

Emanuel Stoakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, contributed to this report.

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2019-12-09 13:38:00Z
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Five dead, many missing, after volcanic eruption on New Zealand island popular with tourists - The Washington Post

Actually, Lauren responded, it is. The Ureys had plans to visit White Island, which bills itself as “New Zealand’s most active volcano.” But Lauren and Matthew, 36, "weren’t concerned that there was any chance of an eruption,” Barham said.

Then, shortly after 2 p.m. Monday local time, as the Ureys and other tourists explored the island, thick clouds of ash started billowing out of the volcano. It was erupting.

At least five people have died and many are missing following an eruption that released ash 12,000 feet above the tourist destination. Fewer than 50 visitors were on or near White Island, which is also known as Whakaari, at the time of the eruption, and 23 people have been rescued so far, New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said at a media briefing. Among those transported to shore, many had burn injuries, Tims said. He didn’t know how many are still unaccounted for, estimating that figure to be in the “double digits.”

The American couple were rushed to a hospital with severe burn injuries, Barham said, but their families have since heard no updates about their condition.

New Zealand authorities, who have been conducting aerial searches, say they no longer expect any of the missing visitors to be found alive.

“No signs of life have been seen at any point,” according to a statement the police issued shortly after midnight Tuesday local time. “Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation. Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters at an earlier news conference that New Zealanders and foreign visitors were on or near the island when the volcano erupted. White Island is located roughly 30 miles from New Zealand’s North Island in the Bay of Plenty. It is uninhabited but frequented by tourists.

“I know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who have loved ones on or around the island at the time, and I can assure them police are doing everything they can,” said Ardern, who noted that she will be traveling to the island Monday night along with New Zealand’s civil defense minister, Peeni Henare.

A number of visitors to the island during the eruption came from the Ureys’ cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas, which offered an excursion to the volcano. In a statement to The Washington Post, the New Zealand Cruise Association’s CEO Kevin O’Sullivan extended “heartfelt concern to the passengers and their families.”

The volcano began erupting at 2:11 p.m. Monday local time, officials said. Photos of the volcano’s crater rim minutes before the eruption showed people walking nearby, the New Zealand Herald reported.

One video taken of the eruption from a boat offshore captured thick clouds rising from the island. A voice could be heard frantically telling passengers to go inside the boat’s cabin. In another clip, the island appeared to be completely enveloped by ash.

My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001. My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable. #whiteisland pic.twitter.com/QJwWi12Tvt

— Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019

On Twitter on Monday afternoon, New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency warned that it was “hazardous in the immediate vicinity of the volcano” and urged people to pay attention to detailed safety advice, adding, “Act on it promptly.”

A volcanic eruption is occurring at White Island and is hazardous in the immediate vicinity of the volcano.

— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) December 9, 2019

Dangerous conditions prevented police and rescue services from reaching the island, Tims said, with experts warning the area is unstable and that more eruptions could be possible.

Meanwhile, Barham told The Post she and her husband, who live east of Richmond, had no idea that chaos was unfolding halfway around the world — and that their daughter was involved. Then, Barham said she got a call from Royal Caribbean shortly after midnight Monday Eastern time asking her if she had heard from Lauren. The newlyweds hadn’t returned to their cruise ship after the volcano tour and were missing.

Soon, Barham’s phone was ringing again. It was Matthew’s mother, and she had just gotten a distressing voice mail from him.

“Her son called and said that they had been on the excursion and there had been a volcano eruption and they were burned very bad,” Barham said. “He said he would try to call as soon as he could, but talking and making phone calls was difficult. His hands were so badly burned it was hard for him to make a phone call.”

In the voice mail, Matthew said he and Lauren, who also suffered similar injuries, had been taken to a hospital. Their families haven’t heard from them since, Barham said.

“Obviously, I’m panicking,” she said. “I don’t know how to act. I feel like I should be crying, but I can’t even cry.”

But as Barham tuned into news coverage about the eruption, the shock began to give way to anger. Experts had reported increased volcanic activity on the island weeks before Monday’s incident.

“I’m just livid,” she said. “There’s been warnings about it. … My son-in-law never would have booked the excursion if he knew there was any chance of them being injured.”

GeoNet, an agency that provides geological hazard information for New Zealand, issued multiple reports of “volcanic unrest” on the island, going as far back as late October.

“Moderate volcanic unrest continues at Whakaari/White Island, with substantial gas, steam and mud bursts observed at the vent located at the back of the crater lake,” stated a report from last Tuesday.

During the news conference, Ardern declined to answer a question about whether visitors should have been allowed to go to the island.

“In this moment in time, the absolute focus needs to be the search and rescue operation,” she said. “There will be a time and a place to undertake further assessments. Now, we have to focus on allowing the police to do their job and focus on those who were in the vicinity of the island at the time.”

Emanuel Stoakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, contributed to this report.

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2019-12-09 12:21:00Z
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Five dead, many missing, after volcanic eruption on New Zealand island popular with tourists - The Washington Post

Actually, Lauren responded, it is. The Ureys had plans to visit White Island, which bills itself as “New Zealand’s most active volcano.” But Lauren and Matthew, 36, "weren’t concerned that there was any chance of an eruption,” Barham said.

Then, shortly after 2 p.m. Monday local time, as the Ureys and other tourists explored the island, thick clouds of ash started billowing out of the volcano. It was erupting.

At least five people have now died and many are still missing following an eruption that released ash 12,000 meters above the tourist destination. Fewer than 50 visitors were on or near White Island, which is also known as Whakaari, at the time of the eruption, and 23 people have been rescued so far, New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said at a media briefing. Among those transported to shore, many had burn injuries, Tims said. He didn’t know how many are still unaccounted for, estimating that figure to be in the “double digits.”

The American couple were rushed to a hospital with severe burn injuries, Barham said, but their families have since heard no updates about their condition.

New Zealand authorities, who have been conducting aerial searches, say they no longer expect any of the missing visitors to be found alive.

“No signs of life have been seen at any point,” according to a statement the police issued shortly after midnight on Tuesday local time. “Police believe that anyone who could have been taken from the island alive was rescued at the time of the evacuation. Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters at an earlier news conference that both New Zealanders and foreign visitors were on or near the island when the volcano erupted at 2:11 p.m. White Island is located roughly 30 miles from New Zealand’s North Island in the Bay of Plenty. It is uninhabited, but is frequented by tourists.

“I know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who have loved ones on or around the island at the time, and I can assure them police are doing everything they can,” said Ardern, who noted that she will be traveling to the island Monday night along with New Zealand’s Minister of Civil Defence, Peeni Henare.

A number of visitors to the island during the eruption came from the Urey’s cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas, which offered an excursion to the volcano. In a statement to The Washington Post, the New Zealand Cruise Association’s CEO Kevin O’Sullivan extended “heartfelt concern to the passengers and their families.”

The volcano began erupting at 2:11 p.m. Monday local time, officials said. Photos of the volcano’s crater rim minutes before the eruption showed people walking nearby, the New Zealand Herald reported.

One video taken of the eruption from a boat offshore captured thick clouds rising from the island. A voice could be heard frantically telling passengers to go inside the boat’s cabin. In another clip, the island appeared to be completely enveloped by ash.

My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001. My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable. #whiteisland pic.twitter.com/QJwWi12Tvt

— Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019

On Twitter Monday afternoon, New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency warned that it was “hazardous in the immediate vicinity of the volcano” and urged people to pay attention to detailed safety advice, adding, “Act on it promptly.”

A volcanic eruption is occurring at White Island and is hazardous in the immediate vicinity of the volcano.

— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) December 9, 2019

Dangerous conditions prevented police and rescue services from reaching the island, Tims said, with experts warning the area is unstable and that more eruptions could be possible.

Meanwhile, Barham told The Post she and her husband, who live east of Richmond, had no idea that chaos was unfolding halfway around the world — and that their daughter was involved. Then, Barham said she got a call from Royal Caribbean shortly after midnight Monday eastern time asking her if she had heard from Lauren. The newlyweds hadn’t returned to their cruise ship after the volcano tour and were missing.

Soon, Barham’s phone was ringing again. It was Matthew’s mother, and she had just gotten a distressing voice mail from him.

“Her son called and said that they had been on the excursion and there had been a volcano eruption and they were burned very bad,” Barham said. “He said he would try to call as soon as he could, but talking and making phone calls was difficult. His hands were so badly burned it was hard for him to make a phone call.”

In the voice mail, Matthew said he and Lauren, who also suffered similar injuries, had been taken to a hospital. Their families haven’t heard from them since, Barham said.

“Obviously, I’m panicking,” she said. “I don’t know how to act. I feel like I should be crying, but I can’t even cry.”

But as Barham tuned into news coverage about the eruption, the shock began to give way to anger. Experts had reported increased volcanic activity on the island weeks before Monday’s incident.

“I’m just livid,” she said. “There’s been warnings about it. ... My son-in-law never would have booked the excursion if he knew there was any chance of them being injured.”

GeoNet, an agency that provides geological hazard information for New Zealand, issued multiple reports of “volcanic unrest” on the island, going as far back as late October.

“Moderate volcanic unrest continues at Whakaari/White Island, with substantial gas, steam and mud bursts observed at the vent located at the back of the crater lake,” stated a report from last Tuesday.

During the news conference, Ardern declined to answer a question about whether visitors should have been allowed to go to the island given the recent increase in volcanic activity.

“In this moment in time, the absolute focus needs to be the search and rescue operation,” she said. “There will be a time and a place to undertake further assessments. Now, we have to focus on allowing the police to do their job and focus on those who were in the vicinity of the island at the time.”

Emanuel Stoakes in Christchurch, NZ contributed to this report.

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2019-12-09 11:53:00Z
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Steele warned that IG report contains information previously blacked out, report says - Fox News

Christopher Steele, the British ex-spy and author of the anti-Trump dossier, was reportedly told that the Justice Department will release information about him that was previously blacked out in the department’s internal watchdog report on the investigation into President Trump’s 2016 campaign due on Monday.

The New York Times, citing two individuals with knowledge of the situation, reported that Attorney General William Barr approved the release of the previously redacted information in Michael Horowitz’s 400-page report. The report called Steele’s heads-up unusual and said he was not given any indication of whether the information would benefit or hurt him. An after-hours email from Fox News to the Justice Department was not immediately returned.

Steele is poised to be a notable figure in the Horowitz report because he provided opposition research into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia which was funded by Democrats and the Clinton campaign.

Much of the Steele dossier has been proven discredited or unsubstantiated, including the dossier's claims that the Trump campaign was paying hackers in the United States out of a nonexistent Russian consulate in Miami, and that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen traveled to Prague to conspire with Russians.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller also was unable to substantiate the dossier's claims that Carter Page, who worked on the Trump campaign, had received a large payment relating to the sale of a share of Rosneft, a Russian oil giant, or that a lurid blackmail tape involving the president existed.

Horowitz's report, as described by people familiar with its findings, is expected to conclude there was an adequate basis for opening one of the most politically sensitive investigations in FBI history and one that Trump has denounced as a witch hunt. It began in secret during Trump's 2016 presidential run and was ultimately taken over by Mueller .

The report comes as Trump faces an impeachment inquiry in Congress centered on his efforts to press Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Democrat Joe Biden — a probe the president also claims is politically biased.

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Still, the release of Inspector General Michael Horowitz's review is unlikely to quell the partisan battles that have surrounded the Russia investigation for years. It's also not the last word: A separate internal investigation continues, overseen by Trump's attorney general, William Barr and led by a U.S. attorney, John Durham. That investigation is criminal in nature, and Republicans may look to it to uncover wrongdoing that the inspector general wasn't examining.

Trump tweeted Sunday: "I.G. report out tomorrow. That will be the big story!"

Fox News'  Gregg  Re and the Associated  Press contributed to this report

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2019-12-09 09:46:28Z
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