Indonesia’s Navy is searching for a missing submarine which is carrying 53 people on board. The submarine went missing during a military exercise on April 21.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Defence, the KRI Nanggala-402 lost contact during a torpedo drill in the Bali Strait.
More specifically, the submarine asked for permission to dive, or submerge, at 3 a.m. local time before losing contact. What is more, an oil spill was noted in aerial surveillance near the dive point. Commenting on the spill, the Indonesian Navy spokesman First Adm. Julius Widjojono said that it is “highly suspected” to have come from the vessel.
Another interesting fact is that the submarine has the capability to dive up to 500 meters below sea level, but authorities estimate it went 100-200 meters below that depth.
Authorities are hoping the crew are safe, but acknowledge that the situation could be fatal. Now, several countries, including Australia, India and Singapore, are providing assistance. The search and rescue operation is focused on the waters of Bali, 60 miles (96 km) from Bali.
As for Indonesia, it is using four warships to search for the submarine, along with two ships equipped with side-scan sonar, and a tool used for mapping the seafloor.
