Sunken Missing Indonesian Submarine Found Cracked Open On Ocean Floor

The Indonesian submarine that went missing last week has been found by rescuers cracked into three pieces on the ocean floor.

The vessel was reported missing with 53 crew members aboard who are all presumed dead. The Indonesian president sent condolences to their families.

PA

Search teams located the vessel's wreckage on the ocean floor just a day after it was considered sunk, not merely missing.

Officials had also said the KRI Nanggala 402's oxygen supply would have run out early on Saturday, three days after the vessel went missing off the resort island of Bali.

Military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters in Bali on Sunday: "We received underwater pictures that are confirmed as the parts of the submarine, including its rear vertical rudder, anchors, outer pressure body, embossed dive rudder and other ship parts."

PA

Tjahjanto added: "With this authentic evidence, we can declare that KRI Nanggala 402 has sunk and all the crew members are dead."

Navy chief of staff Yudo Margono added: "The KRI Nanggala is divided into three parts, the hull of the ship, the stern of the ship, and the main parts are all separated, with the main part found cracked."

The navy previously said it believes the submarine sank to a depth of 600-700 metres (2,000-2,300ft), much deeper than its collapse depth of 200 metres (655ft), at which point water pressure would be greater than the hull could withstand.

The cause of the disappearance was still uncertain. The navy had previously said an electrical failure could have left the submarine unable to execute emergency procedures to resurface.

PA

An American reconnaissance plane, a P-8 Poseidon, landed early on Saturday and had been set to join the search, along with 20 Indonesian ships, a sonar-equipped Australian warship and four Indonesian aircraft.

The German-built diesel-powered KRI Nanggala 402 had been in service in Indonesia since 1981 and was carrying 49 crew members and three gunners as well as its commander, the Indonesian Defence Ministry said.

Topics: News

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

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