Indonesian president sends condolences to crew’s families
Missing submarine broke apart
The hunt for a missing Indonesian submarine with 53 crew turned into a salvage effort Sunday after recovered debris suggested it broke apart as it sank off the coast of Bali.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Sunday the country's missing submarine had been found sunken in the Bali Sea and that he had sent his condolences to the families of the 53 crew. "The army and navy have changed the status of the KRI Nanggala 402 submarine from having lost contact to being 'sub-sunk' or drowned," he told reporters.
"All of us Indonesians express our deep sorrow over this tragedy, especially to the families of the submarine crew."
Among the items recovered was a piece of the torpedo system and a bottle of grease used to lubricate periscopes.
They also found a prayer mat commonly used in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.
The relatives of First Lieutenant Muhammad Imam Adi, a 29-year-old father of a young son, clung to hope.
"My wish now is that my son and all the crew can be found," Adi's father Edy Sujianto said from his home on Java island.
"My son had wanted to become a soldier since he was a child. That was his dream."
Authorities have not given an official explanation for the accident, but said that the submarine may have suffered a blackout and left its crew unable to resurface.
Navy chief Yudo Margono discounted an explosion, however, saying Saturday that the evidence suggested the submarine came apart as it was crushed by water pressure at depths of more than 800 meters.
SAR Agency vessel arrives at pier Tanjung Wangi for search operations in East Java Province on Saturday. Photo: VCG
Warships, planes and hundreds of military personnel had led a frantic search for the KRI Nanggala 402 since it disappeared this week during training exercises, hoping for a miracle rescue before its known oxygen reserves ran out. But the navy acknowledged Saturday that pieces of the submarine, including items from inside the vessel, had been retrieved. They declared that it had sunk, effectively ending any chance of finding survivors.Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Sunday the country's missing submarine had been found sunken in the Bali Sea and that he had sent his condolences to the families of the 53 crew. "The army and navy have changed the status of the KRI Nanggala 402 submarine from having lost contact to being 'sub-sunk' or drowned," he told reporters.
"All of us Indonesians express our deep sorrow over this tragedy, especially to the families of the submarine crew."
Among the items recovered was a piece of the torpedo system and a bottle of grease used to lubricate periscopes.
They also found a prayer mat commonly used in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.
The relatives of First Lieutenant Muhammad Imam Adi, a 29-year-old father of a young son, clung to hope.
"My wish now is that my son and all the crew can be found," Adi's father Edy Sujianto said from his home on Java island.
"My son had wanted to become a soldier since he was a child. That was his dream."
Authorities have not given an official explanation for the accident, but said that the submarine may have suffered a blackout and left its crew unable to resurface.
Navy chief Yudo Margono discounted an explosion, however, saying Saturday that the evidence suggested the submarine came apart as it was crushed by water pressure at depths of more than 800 meters.
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