Time.news – The Indonesian submarine lost for days in the Strait of Bali has sunk: this was announced by the heads of the Indonesian Navy, when the oxygen reserves were exhausted; and now therefore hopes of finding the 53 crewmen alive have vanishedO.
The submarine was located with a scan at a depth of 850 meters. The rescue teams, who worked tirelessly for days, also recovered and showed the press some fragments, including objects from inside the hull: a torpedo guide, a bottle of grease to be used for oiling the periscope and even a mat of those that Muslims use for prayers (Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world).
“We have updated the status of the submarine from ‘missing’ to ‘sunk’,” admiral Yudo Margono admitted disconsolately. The admiral added that the fragments would not have “been able to get out of the boat except due to external pressure or without serious damage to the torpedo tubes”.
The hopes of finding the 53 crew aboard the submarine alive were already low, as the 72-hour deadline for oxygen reserves was reached at dawn. Margono explained that oxygen lasts a maximum of 72 hours in the event of a power failure, but if the electrical systems were working it could last up to five days.
On the possibility, however, of finding someone still alive, he was realistic: “We know nothing of the conditions of the victims because we have not found any. We cannot speculate,” he said, answering a precise question about the possibility that there were survivors. “With the (discovery) of these elements, you can draw your own conclusions …”
Contact with the German-made 1978-built KRI Nanggala-402 submarine was lost on Wednesday off the island of Bali: the submarine was preparing to do a torpedo drill but did not deliver results as expected. and has remained silent ever since.
At dawn, an American reconnaissance plane, the P-8 Poseidon, also joined the search, but for days the area had been patrolled by 20 Indonesian ships, an Australian warship equipped with sonar and four Indonesian aircraft.
In addition to the United States, Australia, India, Singapore and Malaysia are also involved in the research, with special equipment that can help locate the submarine. The submarine can withstand a depth of up to 500 meters, but no further. The sea of Bali goes up to more than 1,500 meters.
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