The vanished Indonesian submarine, shattered into at least 3 pieces, has been discovered at the depths of the Bali Sea, Indonesian army and navy authorities announced yesterday, as the president extended sympathies to the 53 staff’s family.
Rescue teams also discovered new findings, including a life jacket, that they suspect belonged to personnel onboard the KRI Nanggala-402, a 44 year old sub which went missing while preparing to execute a torpedo exercise.
“Based on the information, it is possible to conclude that the KRI Nanggala sank and all of its crew perished,” military head Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto told journalists.
Yudo Margono, the Indonesian Naval chief of staff pinned the accident on natural forces, stating that the crew cannot be blamed for the incident and further clarified that the submarine did not face a power blackout.
Submarine KRI Nanggala is split into 3 sections: the hull, the stern, and the major components are all detached, with the major part discovered fractured,” he stated. “In the sea, there are dispersed bits of the submarine and its inner systems.”
President Joko Widodo previously announced the finding in the Bali Sea and expressed his sympathies to the families of those on-board.
“Everyone of us Indonesians extend our heartfelt condolences on this tragic event, particularly to the relatives of the ill-fated submarine staff.”
On Saturday, a sonar check spotted the sub at a depth of 850 meters, well below the Nanggala’s operational diving capability.
Around a dozen helicopters, air crews and vessels are scouring the region where communication was severed, with aid from the United States, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.
International assistance, according to Navy authorities, will be critical in finding the submarine’s remnants.
Teo Chee Hean, a Senior official from Singapore said on social media that a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) deployed by the Singapore Navy was able to “retrieve a few crucial objects from the bottom of the sea at depths below more than 800 meters.”
“We trust that all this will provide a sense of closure and assurance to the families about the demise of their family members,” he remarked.
Search crews reported finding items such as a few pieces of a prayer mat near the submarine’s last known contact address, prompting the military to suspect the vessel had fractured.
Indonesian police said they would send crews to Bali and the Java town of Banyuwangi, which is home to the military station where the primary disaster response efforts are taking place, to assist in identifying the deceased once their remains were recovered.
Banyuwangi residents backed countrywide efforts to speed up the modernization of Indonesia’s defense forces.
“This can be a teaching moment for the government to improve its military weapons, equipment and tech etc. and be cautious in how it employs its (current) technology since the lives of its citizens are at great risk,” said Hein Ferdy Sentoso, a 29-year-old local.
Prior to the recent catastrophe, Indonesia possessed 5 submarines: two German-built Class 209s, including Nanggala, and three modern South Korean submarines.
