Rescue forces Indonesia and international are racing against time to rescue the submarine missing as the amount of oxygen on the ship gradually depleted.
KRI Nanggala 402 carried 53 people who lost contact at dawn on April 21 in the waters north of Bali while participating in torpedo drills.
Indonesian officials fear the ship may sink deeply, making it difficult to access rescue equipment. In a statement released on April 22, President Joko Widodo called on the people of Indonesia to pray that the crew can return safely. He also ordered all-out use to locate the submarine in distress. More than 20 naval ships, two submarines, five aircraft were mobilized to participate in the search campaign. Lifeboats from Singapore and Malaysia have also arrived on the scene to provide assistance. “Our main priority is the safety of the 53 crew members” Mr. Widodo stressed. Indonesia races against time to rescue the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine. (Photo: Anadolu) Naval Chief of Staff Adm Yudo Margono said, KRI Nanggala 402 is expected to run out of oxygen at 3 am on April 24. Searches are currently concentrated around the oil slick found next to the last dive site of KRI Nanggala 402. But there is currently no evidence that the oil stain was left by a submarine. Margono said the oil could spill from a crack in the fuel tank or the crew could discharge fuel to reduce the weight to help the vessel float. The Indonesian rescue team also found an unidentified highly magnetic object located at a depth of 50-100 m. Officials of this country hope it is the lost ship. However, the Indonesian navy did not rule out the possibility that KRI Nanggala 402 had sunk at a depth of 600-700 m. This depth could crush the ship due to the water pressure. The cause of the disappearance is still unknown. Indonesian officials said the power outage may have prevented the submarine from going through the emergency procedures to float again. In addition to the lifeboats sent to Singapore and Malaysia, Australia, the US, Germany, France, Russia, India, Turkey and South Korea are offering to help Indonesia. Submarine accidents are often catastrophic. In 2000, the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk exploded and sank during a maneuver in the Barents Sea. Most of the 118 crewmembers died immediately, but 23 escaped into the rear compartment before dying because the Russian navy could not find them in time. In November 2017, an Argentine submarine carrying 44 crew members went missing in the South Atlantic. Nearly a year later, the ship’s wreck was found at a depth of 800 meters. But in 2005, a group of seven sailors aboard a small Russian submarine were rescued almost three days after their ship was hooked to a cable at a depth of 190 meters. By the time the cable was cut and surfaced, the amount of oxygen on board was only about six hours. The Indonesian Ministry of Defense said that the German-made diesel-powered KRI Nanggala 402 entered naval service in 1981. The ship carried 49 sailors, one commander and three gunners when it went missing.
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