Search teams find sunken submarine in Indonesia destroyed in three parts

DENPASAR, Apr 25 – Search teams found last week’s missing Indonesian submarine, divided into at least three parts, deep in the Bali Sea, army and navy officials said on Sunday, as the president sent his condolences. to the relatives of the 53 crew members.

Rescuers found new items, including a life jacket, which they believe belong to those aboard the 44-year-old KRI Nanggala-402, which lost contact on Wednesday while preparing to conduct a torpedo drill.

“Based on the evidence, it can be stated that the KRI Nanggala sank and its entire crew died,” the military chief, Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, told reporters.

The Navy’s command chief, Yudo Margono, said the crew was not responsible for the accident.

“The KRI Nanggala is divided into three parts, the hull of the boat, the stern and the main parts are all separated. The main part is broken,” he said.

President Joko Widodo previously confirmed the discovery in the Bali Sea and sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

“All Indonesians express our deep regret for this tragedy, especially to the families of the submarine’s crew,” he said.

Search teams said Saturday they had found objects including prayer mat fragments and a bottle of periscope lubricant near the sub’s last known location, leading the navy to believe the sub was destroyed.

Margono said on Saturday that sonar had detected a submarine-like object at 850 meters, more than the Nanggala’s submerging range.