Thursday, 22 Apr 2021 08:39 PM MYT
This photo taken on October 5, 2017 shows the Indonesian Cakra submarine KRI Nanggala sailing out from the port in Cilegon, Banten. AFP pic
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BALI, April 22 Indonesian warships led the hunt today for a submarine that went missing with 53 crew aboard and only enough oxygen for a few days.
An oil spill where the submarine was thought to have submerged early yesterday pointed to possible fuel-tank damage, and fanned fears of a deadly disaster.
The crew on the KRI Nanggala 402 could have enough oxygen until early Saturday, but time was quickly running out as rescuers scoured the coast off holiday island Bali where it disappeared.
by Tyler Durden
Thursday, Apr 22, 2021 - 11:32 AM
It looks like the Indonesian Navy submarine that disappeared yesterday during routine naval exercises has fallen too deep to retrieve, meaning the 53 crewmembers onboard are likely doomed - if they re not dead already.
Authorities said oxygen in the submarine would run out by early Saturday. Hopefully we can rescue them before the oxygen has run out at 3 a.m. on Saturday, Indonesia’s navy chief of staff, Adm. Yudo Margono, told reporters.
He said rescuers found an unidentified object with high magnetism in the area and that officials hope it’s the submarine.
He said rescuers found an unidentified object with high magnetism in the area and that officials hope it’s the submarine.
The navy believes the submarine sank to a depth of 600-700 meters (2,000-2,300 feet) much deeper than its collapse depth estimated at 200 meters (656 feet) by a firm that refitted the vessel in 2009-2012.
Ahn Guk-hyeon, an official from South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, said the submarine would collapse if it goes deeper than around 200 meters because of pressure. He said his company upgraded much of the Indonesian submarine’s internal structures and systems but it lacks latest information about the vessel.
A military submarine missing off the coast of Bali is due to run out of oxygen within hours, sparking grave fears for the 53 sailors on board.
The submarine - carrying 49 crew members, its commander and three gunners - has not been seen or heard from since Wednesday when it was conducting a torpedo drill in waters north of Bali.
The KRI Nanggala-402 vessel lost contact after being granted clearance to dive and could have sunk to a depth of between 600 and 800 metres, well below its safe operating levels.
More than 400 emergency response personnel on board two warships have been searching for the missing vessel - as officials predict it is due to run out of air by Sunday.