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The Argentine submarine that was lost in the depths of the sea with 44 crew members on board may have suffered a partial implosion near the bottom of the sea, said a senior official who published pictures of the wreck.
The country's navy announced Saturday that the ARA San Juan had been discovered at a depth of 2,975 feet off the Valdes Peninsula and was surrounded by a rubble field. Underwater turbulence made visibility difficult.
Navy captain Enrique Balbi said the working theory was that the ship had partially imploded at sea near the seabed, Sky News reported.
The wreck of the ARA San Juan, which was discovered at a depth of 2,975 feet off the Valdes Peninsula.
(Argentine Navy)
The photos released Sunday show the wreckage of the submarine in the Atlantic Ocean, with sections of the ship lying on the bottom of the ocean. Portions of his propellers were buried and debris was scattered up to 230 feet.
The submarine's parts, which included a propeller and the submarine's bow with torpedo tubes, had been "crushed inward", according to Captain Enrique Balbi.
(Argentine Navy)
The submarine's parts, which included a propeller and the submarine's bow with torpedo tubes, had been "crushed inward", according to Balbi.
The discovery of the submarine was announced just two days after the families of the missing sailors held a one-year commemoration for his disappearance on November 15, 2017. The San Juan was returning to its base in the coastal city Mar del Plata when the contact was lost. .
The propellers of the ARA San Juan were buried and debris was scattered on the bottom of the sea up to a distance of 230 feet.
(Argentine Navy)
The Navy had previously announced that the captain had announced on November 15, 2017 that water had entered the snorkel and was causing the short circuit of one of the submarine's batteries. The captain subsequently announced that it had been contained.
A SUBMARINE OF THE ARGENTINE NAVY FOUND 2,600 FEET IN THE ATLANTIC ONE YEAR AFTER DISAPPEARANCE
A few hours later, an explosion was detected near the time and place where the San Juan was heard for the last time. The Navy said the blast could have been caused by a "hydrogen concentration" triggered by the battery problem reported by the captain.
The TR-1700 class diesel-electric submarine built in Germany was commissioned in the mid-1980s and refitted between 2008 and 2014. During the $ 12 million upgrade, the vessel was reduced in half and its engines and batteries have been replaced.
Members of the crew of the submarine ARA San Juan in the arms of the naval base of Mar del Plata, Argentina, Saturday, November 17, 2018. The Argentine Navy announced Saturday morning that she had located the submarine vanished ARA San Juan in the Atlantic year after he disappeared with 44 crew members on board.
(Photo AP / Federico Cosso)
After announcing the discovery of the submarine, Defense Minister Oscar Aguad revealed that the country would not be able to recover the ship because Argentina did not have the "modern technology" capable of "check the seabed".
We still did not know what the next steps would be.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Oliver Plunkett, CEO of Ocean Infinity, said the authorities should determine how to move forward. "We would be happy to assist in a recovery operation, but for now, we are focusing our efforts on performing debris field imaging," he said.
Navy commander, Jose Luis Villan, called for "caution", saying that a federal judge was overseeing the investigation and would be responsible for deciding whether it was possible to recover part of it or not. Entire vessel.
CREW IN A MISSING ARGENTINA SUBMARINE REPORTED A FIRE, LEAK IN THE FINAL MESSAGE
In the absence of adequate technological capabilities, Argentina would probably need to seek help from foreign countries or pay Ocean Infinity or another company. The country is facing a currency crisis and double-digit inflation that has led the government to announce drastic measures to balance the budget and cement a funding agreement with the International Monetary Fund.
But the parents of the crew were determined to fight for it to be quickly revealed.
Isabel Vilca, the half-sister of crew member Daniel Alejandro Polo, told AP that this discovery was only a beginning.
"We know that they can do it because Ocean Infinity told us that they could, that they have equipment," said Luis Antonio Niz, father of the member of Crew, Luis Niz. "If they sent it back, I want them to bring it back to me."
Associated Press contributed to this report.
