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Mountaineers have discovered the remains of a plane that crashed in Chile killing several members of a first-division football team over half-a-century ago.

The incident was one of the world’s major air disasters involving football teams, and killed all 24 people on board, including three referees.

A team of experienced climbers found the crash site in an undisclosed destination 200 miles from the capital Santiago.

Expedition member Leonardo Albornoz said: “The plane is more 10,000ft above sea level. A large part of the fuselage is still intact and a lot of material including human bones are scattered around the wreck.”

Declining to identify the spot where the remains were found, he added: “This story is being rewritten because they’re not where official publications indicated.

“We don’t want this place to be defiled and the remains taken as trophies. You have to remember people died here and their families deserve respect.”

The Douglas DC-3 carrying the Green Cross players went down as they returned to Santiago from an away match in the south.

The Chilean club had played a cup match against Osorno Seleccion on April 1, 1961.

It ended in a 1-1 draw and the club's team and staff flew back to Santiago spread over two flights. One of them never arrived.

It was reported that most of the first team players had elected to fly on the fateful plane because it was more direct, and the alternative flight was scheduled to make several stops on the way back to Santiago.

(Image: Mirrorpix)

Despite losing virtually the entire first team in the accident the club bravely fulfilled the second leg of the cup tie, which they lost 0-1 and were knocked out of the cup.

However, it had a major impact on the fortunes of the club, which was founded in 1916.

In that tragic season, Green Cross finished 12th out of 14 clubs and a season later they were relegated.

Amazingly, Green Cross returned to the Chilean top flight the following season, in 1964, as the club appeared reborn.

However, in March 1965 the club's proud individual history came to an end as it merged with Deportes Temuco, and was renamed Green Cross Temuco.

(Image: El Grafico)

The best-known player to have perished in the crash was likely Elisa Mourino, who won 25 caps for Argentina and lifted the Copa America for his country in 1955 and 1959.

Mourino was winding his career down at Green Cross after eight seasons at Argentiena giants at Boca Juniors, and five at Banfield.

The club, which was one of the eight teams that founded the professional Chilean football league, sadly folded in 1984 after finishing 23rd in the Primera División.

The accident is one of the worst tragedies in professional sport, and echoes the darkest day in Manchester United's history - February 6th, 1958.

Eight players and three members of staff were among 23 people killed in the Munich air disaster on the way back from a European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade, when the team plane stopped in Germany to refuel.

Among the dead were star player Duncan Edwards, 21, as well as eight journalists, and the plane's captain Ken Rayment.