Indonesian navy confirms missing submarine has sunk, dooming all 53 crew on board
- The KRI Nanggala 402 was equipped with enough oxygen for three days after losing power but that deadline passed on Saturday morning
- The submarine – one of five in Indonesia’s fleet – disappeared early on Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises near Bali
02:09
Indonesia racing to find missing submarine with 53 crew as oxygen soon to run out
An Indonesian submarine that went missing off the coast of Bali has sunk, the navy said on Saturday, dashing hopes of rescuing any of its 53 crew.
The navy’s chief said a search party had recovered fragments from the KRI Nanggala 402 including items from inside the vessel, whose oxygen reserves were already believed to have run out.
Warships, planes and hundreds of military personnel have been searching for the stricken vessel. Authorities had said the German-built craft was equipped with enough oxygen for only three days after losing power. That deadline passed early on Saturday.
“We have raised the status from sub-miss to sub-sunk,” navy chief Yudo Margono told reporters, adding that the retrieved items could not have come from another vessel. “[The items] would not have come outside the submarine if there was no external pressure or without damage to its torpedo launcher.”
03:02
Indonesian navy declares all 53 sailors aboard sunken submarine dead
Navy officials displayed several items including a piece of its torpedo system and a bottle of grease used to lubricate a submarine’s periscope. They also found a prayer mat commonly used by Muslims. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Islamic nation.