Remains of the 'Chilean Titanic' are finally found 95 years after it vanished with 400 people on board

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Explorers have discovered the remains of the 'Chilean Titanic' 95 years after it sank off the coast of Chile. 

The Itata ship sank in 1922 with more than 400 people on board, after running into a storm during a journey between the US and Chile.

For the last seven years, experts have been searching for the wreckage, and have finally pinpointed it off the port of Coquimbo, in Elqui Province, in northern Chile.

The researchers hope the discovery will help to complete the story of the infamous ship, and bring more tourists to the area. 

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After seven years of searching, explorers have discovered the remains of the 'Chilean Titanic' 95 years after it sank off the coast of Chile

The Itata ship participated in the War of the Pacific and the Revolution of 1891, before being sold to the Compania Nacional de Vaporeso in 1922.

It was then used to transport supplies and passengers between the US and Chile.

One of its many journeys took place on August 28, 1922 - but this would end up being its last.

At around 11:00am, the Itata headed for Antofagasta from the port of Coquimbo, but in a matter of a few hours, the ship ran into a raging storm, which sank the Itata.

Of the 400 people on board, only 26 survived and made it back to the coast.

The Itata ship sank in 1922 with more than 400 people on board, after running into a storm during a journey between the US and Chile

Until now, the precise location of the wreckage have remained a mystery.

Researchers from the Catholic University of the North started looking for the wreckage in 2010, and finally found the remains using Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) this week. 

Mr Carlos Cortes, one of the researchers working on the project, said: 'We can assure that for Chile, the discovery of Itata is the most important in terms of underwater heritage.'

Mr Cortes was one of the people who led the expedition, and he explained that years of research had led to the find.

He added: 'It is a great achievement to have completed this work. 

'What follows is the launch of our documentary.' 

He explained that a few weeks ago, the team of UCN researchers and Oceana Science Director Matthias Gorny, an expert on ROVs, had located the sinking point, but without uncovering the remains of the boat. 

Mr Cortes added: 'The story changed only a few days later, when 200 meters deep the images that the submarine robot captured confirmed that the expedition was right near part of the boat.' 

For the last seven years, experts have been searching for the wreckage, and have finally pinpointed it off the port of Coquimbo, in Elqui Province, in northern Chile

Mr Carlos Cortes, one of the researchers working on the project, said: 'We can assure that for Chile, the discovery of Itata is the most important in terms of underwater heritage.' Pictured is the boat used by the researchers to find the remains 

Researchers from the Catholic University of the North started looking for the wreckage in 2010, and finally found the remains using Remotely Operated Vehicles (pictured) this week

Mr Javier Sellanes, who also worked on the study, says that in the coming months the team will receive an ROV that will allow them to continue investigating the shipwreck. 

He said: 'All this will continue to be carried out with the corresponding permits and due respect to both those who lost their lives in this tragic event and their relatives.

'Therefore, we wanted to collaborate in the search for Itata, taking advantage of the technology we have, and thanks to the images of our submarine robot, we could confirm that what was there was the remains of the boat.'

Mr Javier Sellanes, who worked on the study, says that in the coming months the team will receive an ROV that will allow them to continue investigating the shipwreck

Having found some remains (pictured), the researchers are now waiting for the right permits to continues searching for the entire ship

Mr Javier Sellanes said: 'We wanted to collaborate in the search for Itata, taking advantage of the technology we have, and thanks to the images of our submarine robot, we could confirm that what was there was the remains of the boat'

The Itata is often referred to as the 'Chilean Titanic', because it tragically sank in 1922 with 400 people on board. In comparison 1,503 people died on the Titanic when it sank in 1912

Pictured are crabs exploring some of the wooden remains, which the researchers found off the port of Coquimbo, in Elqui Province, in northern Chile

The remains were discovered by the researchers off the port of Coquimbo, in Elqui Province, in northern Chile