Indonesia confirmed the sinking of the submarine | It is T…

Indonesia says submarine sunk disappeared since the early hours of Wednesday north of the island of Bali. Authorities confirmed the new status after finding several objects in the submersible, but did not rule out the possibility of finding some of the 53 crew members alive.

the Indonesian Navy Chief, Yudo Margono, spoke at a press conference on the Latest finds in the search area: parts of a torpedo, a cooling tube, a prayer mat used by Muslims, and lubricant for the periscope, among other objects they believe belong to the submarine KRI Nanggala-402, made in Germany in 1977.

The ship lost contact during military exercises with torpedoes at a depth of 700 meters. “Based on what we believe is from KRI Nanggala-402, we changed the status of the submarine from ‘missing’ to ‘sunk'”says Yudo Margono

“No ship has passed within ten miles, so experts believe these items belonged to KRI Nanggala-402”Margono added during the press conference.“They couldn’t have gotten out of the submarine without external pressure or damage to their torpedo system.”, he clarified.

Currently, the authorities believe that the ship is at a depth of about 850 meters and they hope to find one of the 53 crew members alive. Objects found in the sweep area could indicate that the submarine began to experience cracks when it reached 400 and 500 meters below the surface. This is the limit provided for in the design of the KRI Nanggala-402.

“The diesel-electric submarine can withstand a depth of up to 500 meters, but anything else could be fatal.”Navy spokesman Julius Widjojono said. The Bali Sea can reach depths of over 1,500 meters.

Although the search is continuing, the chances of finding any of the crew members alive are minimal as the 72-hour deadline set by oxygen reserves was met in the early hours of Saturday. The Indonesian Navy also said that a power failure during submersion could cause the crew to lose control of the submarine no possibility of an emergency evacuation. Margono clarified that oxygen lasts a maximum of three days in the event of a power failureBut if the electrical systems are working, it can take up to five days.

The father of one of the crew of KRI Nanggala-402, Sunaryo, 48, said he and his wife were shocked and saddened by the news that they had found remains of the submarine. “I still think they can find my son. Whatever happens, the evacuation process must continue until my son and the other crew members can be found,” Sunaryo told CNN. . His son, Gunadi Fajar Rahmanto, 28, is also expecting his girlfriend, who is seven months pregnant.

The search for the submarine involved hundreds of people. Soldiers and around twenty ships were mobilized to locate the submersible. From ships and helicopters, the Indonesian Navy searched the waters north of the island of Bali, where the submarine first lost contact last Wednesday while conducting military exercises with torpedoes.

Indonesia does not have the capacity to carry out such rescue operations and has resorted to international support. An American reconnaissance aircraft, the P-8 Poseidon – a ship designed for war missions with the aim of intercepting ships – landed early Saturday to join the rake. The research team also includes 20 Indonesian ships and four aircraft, two Australian warships equipped with sonar.

The arrival of a Singaporean underwater rescue vessel, the MV Swift Rescue, is also expected. As they came from the Indonesian Air Force, they sent six tons of equipment to a base to help with the search, including underwater balloons to help lift a boat.

Over the past few hours, the search has focused on nine points within an area of ​​ten nautical miles. Specialists are tracking fuel leaks and magnetic fields that could indicate the proximity of the ship.

Chronology

According to Indonesian Army data, the submarine began the dive at 3:46 a.m. local time on Wednesday (8:46 p.m. GMT Tuesday) and about 15 minutes later began to load the number 8 torpedo tube. The crew of the KRI Nanggala-402 was held at 4:25 a.m. local time (9:25 p.m. GMT Tuesday), just before allowing the torpedo to launch, connection to the vessel was lost.

An oil spill detected in the area where it sank indicated a possible rupture of the tank or even a fracture of the submarine. Last Thursday, the Indonesian President made the Chief of the Naval Staff available to search and rescue the submarine and its crew.

“I have ordered the military commander, the naval chief of staff, the search and rescue agency and other agencies to use all possible forces and efforts to find and rescue the crew of the submarine, “he said Thursday. Joko Widodo. “The main priority is the safety of the 53 crew members”added.

The Indonesian fleet currently has five submarines, two of which are German-made (including the submarine that disappeared this week) and three were made in South Korea. The KRI Nanggala-402 was acquired in 1981 and in 2012 it was overhauled in South Korea.

The case of the KRI Nanggala-402 recalls that of the ARA San Juan, which was wrecked on November 15, 2017 in the South Atlantic, near the town of Comodoro Rivadavia. The families of the 44 San Juan divers this week expressed their solidarity and greetings to the relatives of Indonesian sailors.