3 Israeli backpackers stranded on mountain in Chile

Rescue crews have been sent to rescue three Israeli backpackers trapped on a mountainside in southern Chile.

The three are said to have become stranded on a mountain in the Puyehue National Park due to nightfall, according to Hebrew media reports.

After receiving a distress call, Chilean rescue services began a search for the trapped backpackers. Rescue crews from Israel’s Harel insurance company and Magnus International Search and Rescue are said to be assisting in the search, in cooperation with the Chilean company PassportCard.

The rescue crews are said to be coordinating their efforts with the Foreign Ministry.

Puyehue National Park, located in the Andes, is Chile’s most popular national park, with hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The park is home to a number of volcanoes.

In January, an Israeli woman drowned in Guatemala and in October an Israeli tourist died in Bolivia from altitude sickness.