Rescue patrols will continue searching for 19 soldiers still missing on Monday, said General Juan Emilio Cheyre, despite heavy snow and powerful winds in the high Andean region where the soldiers were lost.

The soldiers, mostly young recruits, were part of a group on an exercise march that were struck by the sudden blizzard on Wednesday in the high Andes near Antuco, not far from the Los Angeles army base.

President Ricardo Lagos arrived at Los Angeles, some 500 kilometersmiles) south of Santiago, on Saturday to attend a religious service for the lost soldiers and personally express condolences to relatives of the victims.

Most of the soldiers were conscripts doing mandatory military service.

Some 300 army rescuers, supported by helicopters and police patrols, have combed the area since Wednesday despite the powerful storms.

Lagos announced three days of national mourning late Friday.

A group of 112 survivors were rescued Saturday and returned to Los Angeles to the overwhelming joy of relatives gathered here.