Indonesian Navy Still Searching for Submarine

The Indonesian military is hunting for a submarine carrying a crew of 53 people that went missing during a Navy drill. Authorities say the submarine requested approval to dive on Wednesday at 3 a.m. local time prior to losing contact. It is thought to have disappeared approximately 60 miles north of Bali in an area called the Bali Strait during a torpedo exercise. The crew was permitted to dive, but the Navy craft never made a radio connection again. The German-made KRI Nanggala-402 vessel was built in the 1970s and joined the Indonesian fleet in 1981. The military chief has deployed ships to locate the missing submarine and requested assistance from neighboring Singapore and Australia.

Indonesia's navy lost contact with an aging submarine carrying 53 sailors while it conducted a torpedo training mission north of Bali.

Officials are searching the area for possible survivors.https://t.co/a2OOiykQWy

— NPR (@NPR) April 21, 2021

During the mass search efforts, a helicopter detected an oil spill near the sub’s dive position. The military believes it may be related to the diesel ship’s disappearance. At present, there is no means by which to identify if the oil originated from the sub. The Indonesian navy has said they are still investigating the situation. It could be a signal or attempt from the crew to release excess fluids so the vessel could rise to the surface. Or it could be a sign of severe damage to the submarine. The search and rescue efforts are ongoing and Indonesian officials are hopeful as the crew has enough oxygen to last until roughly Saturday morning.