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Thursday, March 28, 2024

All 53 Crew members of Lost Indonesian Submarine dead as Wreckage Found

JAKARTA: All crew members of the lost Indonesian submarine, KRI Nanggala 402 that went missing near Bali, have died, as the debris found after the vessel sank, authorities confirmed Sunday (today).

It vanished earlier in the wee hours of Wednesday while conducting a torpedo-firing exercise. The last detected signal from the KRI 402 was from a depth of 850 meters – beyond its diving limit.

MV Swift Rescue, a submarine support and rescue vessel, helped in the recovery effort, the Indonesian naval forces said. Meanwhile, Malaysia, the United States, India, and Australia were also among the countries that contributed to the salvage operation.

The officials added that the KRI Nanggala 402 split into three parts as the search and rescue teams found three large pieces. The main body of the submarine was found nearly at the depth of 838 meters, not far from the point where it was believed to have sunk.

Indonesian Military Chief General. Hadi Tjahjanto while addressing the miserable event in a news conference said KRI Nanggala 402 has sunk and all the crew members have passed away.

On behalf of all troops and the big family of the TNI, I express my deepest condolences. We hope we can all continue your exemplary services as the best soldiers of the TNI. We will coordinate with the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office to attempt to salvage the submarine and the remains of all deceased, the military chief said Sunday.

Debris from the missing submarine displayed during a media conference at Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, Indonesia on April 24. © Reuters

A probe into the cause of the accident would have to wait until the debris can be lifted. The authorities further said that it seemed like it’s not human error, but a natural cause.

Let it be known that the 1,395-tonne vessel was built in Germany in 1977 and joined the Indonesian fleet in 1981. It underwent a two-year refit in South Korea that was completed in 2012. The vessel was reportedly in good condition but some experts added that poor maintenance and aging might have been contributing factors.

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