The Indonesian navy has reported the disappearance of one of its submarines, the KRI Nanggala-402, while participating in a military training exercise in the Bali Sea.
On Wednesday morning, the submarine, which was carrying 53 crew members, was last seen sinking at a depth of 600-700 meters. With the assistance of helicopters, ships, and other submarines, the navy has initiated a search and rescue effort.
The KRI Nanggala-402 lost communication after seeking permission to dive, according to the navy. Officials have not ruled out the likelihood of a technological glitch as the reason of the disappearance.
The military has asked neighboring nations, notably Singapore and Australia, for aid in locating the missing submarine. Singapore has provided a submarine support vessel, while Australia has sent a P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance plane to help in the search.
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Joko Widodo, Indonesia’s president, has expressed his worry and conveyed condolences to the families of the lost crew members. “I ask all Indonesians to pray together so that the crew can be found soon,” he added in a statement.
The German-built submarine KRI Nanggala-402 was commissioned in 1981 and had a thorough refit in 2012. It is one of five submarines in the fleet of the Indonesian navy.
Concerns have been made concerning the safety of Indonesia’s old military equipment, as well as the necessity for modernisation. Accidents and technical faults have already occurred in the navy, including a devastating submarine explosion in 2017.
Officials are advising the public to be calm and wait for additional developments while the search and rescue effort continues.
