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A military plane with 38 on board has disappeared en route to Antarctica, Chile's air force says in a statement. 

The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft took off from Punta Arenas at 16:55 local time (19:55 GMT), and operators lost contact soon after 18:00 (21:00), BBC News reports. 

Among the missing are 17 crew members and 21 passengers, who were travelling to provide logistical support.

Chile's air force said a search and rescue operation is under way to recover the plane and those missing.

News agency EFE reports that three of those on board are civilians.

Air Force General Eduardo Mosqueira told local media that the plane did not activate any distress signal while flying to Chile's Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva base, on Antarctica's King George Island.

He said the plane, whose pilot had extensive experience, may have been forced to land after running out of fuel.

The air force said in a statement that the plane was around 450 miles into its 770-mile journey when contact was lost, placing it within the Drake Passage.

The Drake Passage is body of water connecting the South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans, and is known for treacherous weather conditions. But Chile's air force said local weather was good at the time of the plane's disappearance.

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera said in a tweet that he was "dismayed" by the loss, and was monitoring the situation from the capital, Santiago.