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).

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.