The submarine underwent a two-year refit in South Korea that was completed in 2012, according to the Indonesian cabinet secretariat’s website. The 1,395-ton KRI Nanggala-402 was built in 1977 by the German shipbuilding company Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) and joined the ranks of the Indonesian Navy in 1981, according to the Ministry of Defense statement. The International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO), an organization that facilitates an international response for distressed submarines, is also providing assistance, the ministry said. Two ships equipped with side-scan sonar, a tool used for mapping the seafloor, began searching the area Wednesday, the Ministry of Defense said. That ship is currently en route from Jakarta. Indonesia is deploying four warships to search for the submarine, including a Rigel warship equipped with sophisticated sonar that can precisely detect the vessel’s position, Widjojono said. Several countries, including Australia, India and Singapore have offered to provide assistance.Įarlier on Wednesday, military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told Reuters that they were “searching in the waters of Bali, 60 miles (96 km) from Bali, (for) 53 people.” “Let’s pray for them so they can survive,” he told local media Wednesday. He said authorities are holding out hope the crew are safe, but acknowledged the situation could be fatal at that depth. Widjojono said the submarine has the capability to dive up to 500 meters below sea level, but authorities estimate it went 100-200 meters below that depth. “That oil spill location is the last time we had contact with the submarine,” he said. The oil spill is “highly suspected” to have come from the vessel, Indonesian Navy spokesman First Adm. The statement added that an oil spill was seen in aerial surveillance near the dive point, around 7 a.m. The submarine asked for permission to dive, or submerge, at 3 a.m. In a statement published Wednesday night, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense said the KRI Nanggala-402, a German-made submarine, lost contact during a torpedo drill in the Bali Strait - a stretch of water between the islands of Java and Bali that connects to the Indian Ocean and Bali Sea. (CNN) - Indonesia’s Navy is searching for a missing submarine with 53 people on board that went missing during amilitary exercise on Wednesday, Indonesian authorities say.
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