Indonesia officials say missing submarine sunk, little hope for survivors

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:51 AM PT – Saturday, April 24, 2021

The Indonesian Navy officially declared a missing submarine most likely sunk after rescuers found several pieces of debris believed to be from the vessel.

In a press conference Saturday, Indonesian officials said divers had found items like a torpedo straightener, a grease bottle believed to be used to oil the periscope, and prayer rugs in the area the sub originally lost contact.

This came after the vessel went missing during a training exercise off the coast of Bali on Wednesday along with a crew of 53.

Indonesian navy ships arrive at the naval base in Banyuwangi on April 22, 2021, to join in the search for a decades-old navy submarine that went missing off the coast of Bali with 53 crew aboard during regular exercises. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

“In the past few days, to this day we have found several pieces of debris at the location where the submarine was last seen while diving,” Yudo Margono, chief of staff of the Indonesian Navy Commander, said. “These are believed to be parts or components that were attached to the submarine. These would not have come off of the ship if there had not been pressure from outside, or there was a crack in the torpedo launcher.”

Several counties, including the U.S., aided in the search. Officials said the submarine only had enough oxygen to last through Saturday morning and the discovery of the floating items confirmed the worst case scenario.

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