Missing Indonesia Submarine Sunk Off The Coast Of Bali With 53 Crew ...

A submarine that has been missing since Wednesday off the coast of Bali with 53 people on board has sunk, the Indonesian navy said on Saturday. 

The Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Yudo Margono said that parts of the submarine, as well as debris from inside the vessel including prayer mats, were found near where it went missing.  

Rescue teams also found a torpedo straightener and a bottle of grease for lubricating the periscope. 

The items were found in a 10-mile (16km) radius where no other ships had passed. 

The navy chief said: “We have raised the status from submiss to subsunk.  

“We have found several pieces and parts that are believed to be parts or components that are attached to the submarine that would not come out of the ship if there had not been pressure from outside or a crack in the torpedo launcher.” 

The KRI Nanggala was only carrying oxygen to last three days.  

And according to a scan, the submarine was detected at a depth of 850m (2,800ft) – well beyond its survivable limit. 

Admiral Margono said the hunt for the submarine and those on board would continue.

But he warned the deep waters made the recovery effort “very risky and difficult”, The Jakarta Post reported.

When asked whether there was a chance of any survivors he said: “We don’t know about the victims’ condition because we haven’t found any of them. So we can’t speculate.

“But with the [discovery] of these items, you can make your own conclusion.” 

The German-made KRI Nanggala-402 went missing after requesting permission to dive during a torpedo drill north of the island on Wednesday.  Shortly after it lost contact.

In an international effort, warships, planes, and hundreds of military personnel were dispatched to search for the stricken vessel. 

Neighbours Singapore and Malaysia as well as the United States and Australia were among the nations who had been helping in the hunt.

The Indonesian navy said the submarine was in good condition, but an oil spill spotted where the vessel is thought to have submerged raised concerns there could have been possible fuel-tank damage.  

The 1,395-ton KRI Nanggala-402 was built in 1978, according to the Indonesian cabinet secretariat’s website.  

It underwent a two-year refit in South Korea which was completed in 2012.