A Chilean army officer who allegedly ordered a march through an Andean snowstorm that left 35 soldiers dead and 10 missing has been arrested, Reuters quoted media reports here as saying Friday. Major Patricio Cereceda could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of possible charges of dereliction of duty and abuse of subordinates in Chile's worst peacetime military disaster. He is among three officers suspended by the military command after the May 18 march during an exercise in Concepcion province, about 500 kilometres south of the capital, Santiago. Survivors have accused Cereceda of giving the order despite a brewing blizzard. The soldiers were trapped in heavy snow and minus 20-degree cold, allegedly without proper cold-weather clothing. Cereceda has been receiving psychological counselling since his arrest, newspapers reported. --SP 2159 Local Time 1859 GMT
