DEBRIS OF MISSING INDONESIAN SUBMARINE REPORTEDLY FOUND

Sat 24 April 2021:

Indonesia’s military chief says debris from the missing submarine has been found.

Hopes of rescuing 53 sailors on board the vessel faded on Saturday as its oxygen reserves were believed to have run out.

The objects located include a bottle of lubricant and a device that protects a torpedo, Air Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto said.

“The objects found near the last location of the submarine are believed to be parts of the submarine,” he said. “These objects would have never got out of the submarine unless there was pressure.”

BREAKING: #Indonesian searchers recover debris from missing submarine, Military chief says. Scan detected the sub 850 metres deep. Authorities to conduct evacuation for possible survivors.#IndonesianSubmarine #submarine pic.twitter.com/4s5Ttp8wpG

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 24, 2021

The submarine – one of five in Indonesia’s fleet – disappeared on Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island of Bali.

Navy Chief Yudo Margono said Saturday that rescuers found several items including parts of a torpedo straightener, a grease bottle believed to be used to oil the periscope, and prayer rugs from the submarine.

“With the authentic evidence we found believed to be from the submarine, we have now moved from the sub miss phase to sub sunk,” Margono said.

Indonesia earlier considered the submarine that disappeared on Thursday off Bali as just missing. But it now declares the submarine as officially sank.

Indonesian navy retired rear admiral Frans Wuwung, who had previously headed the submarine’s machinery room, told Indonesian news channel MetroTV that he believed a blackout was likely and could have caused the crew to panic.

Officials also said the oxygen supply for its 53 crew ran out early Saturday.

One of the people on board was the commander of the Indonesian submarine fleet, Harry Setiawan.

Late on Friday, the Pentagon said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto and offered additional support, which could include undersea search assets.