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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Matthew Dresch

Indonesia says all 53 submarine crew are dead after missing vessel found broken in three

Indonesia has announced that all 53 crew members on board a missing submarine are dead after the broken remains of the vessel were found.

The KRI Nanggala-402 has been found broken into at least three parts deep in the Bali Sea.

Indonesia's president Joko Widodo has now sent condolences to relatives of the crew.

Rescuers found new objects, including a life vest, that they believe belong to those aboard the 44-year old vessel, which lost contact on Wednesday as it prepared to conduct a torpedo drill.

Military chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters: "Based on the evidence, it can be stated that the KRI Nanggala has sunk and all of its crew have died."

Underwater video footage of the sunk submarine (MADE NAGI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Navy chief of staff Yudo Margono said the crew were not to blame for the accident.

"The KRI Nanggala is divided into three parts, the hull of the ship, the stern of the ship, and the main parts are all separated, with the main part found cracked," he said.

Mr Widodo added: "All of us Indonesians express our deep sorrow over this tragedy, especially to the families of the submarine crew."

A military officer showing a safety escape suit believed to be from the submarine (MADE NAGI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Indonesia launched a huge search operation for the vessel after it went missing on Wednesday (MADE NAGI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Search teams said on Saturday they had found objects including prayer mat fragments and a bottle of periscope lubricant near the submarine's last known location, leading the navy to believe the vessel had cracked.

Mr Margono said on Saturday that a sonar scan had detected a submarine-like object at 850 metres, beyond the Nanggala's diving range.

The diesel electric-powered vessel was designed to withstand a depth of up to 500 metres.

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