Indonesia's submarine still missing in sea with only hours of oxygen left, US joins search

The hunt for the missing Indonesian navy submarine lost in the Bali Sea is still going on with 53 crew members on board and only hours of oxygen left. The United States has also joined the efforts of the rescue teams of several other nations as the worry over crew not having enough oxygen rises. The KRI Nanggala 402 had disappeared on April 21 during the exercises off the coast of Bali triggering a frantic search to locate the missing vessel which, the Indonesian authorities have estimated, would run out of oxygen within a few hours.

As per BBC report, an oil slick where the submarine is thought to have submerged suggested that the fuel tank might have been damaged which led to the vessel going missing. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that the US is “deeply saddened” by the recent turn of events. He said in a statement, “Our thoughts are with the Indonesian sailors and their families. At the invitation of the Indonesian government, we are sending airborne assets to assist in the search for the missing submarine."

Indonesia military’s development in locating submarine

On late April 22, the Indonesian military reportedly said that it had detected some signs of an object at a depth of between 50 and 100 metres (165 to 330 feet). It further deployed its ships with the ability of sonar-tracking to locate the KRI Nanggala 402. Indonesia military spokesperson Achmad Riad has reportedly said, “We've only got until 0300 tomorrow [Saturday] so we're maximising all of our efforts today...Hopefully, there will be a bright spot."

As per reports, at least six warships have been already deployed in search of the missing Indonesia submarine with over 400 people involved in the mission. Singapore and Malaysia have also dispatched their ships to the area and Australia, France and Germany have also offered assistance. Ratih Wardhani, whose brother Major Wisnu Subiyantoro among the KRI Nanggala 402 crew told BBC said, "We keep waiting, we keep praying...We hope that God will ease the effort of the joint rescue team from the Indonesian Navy and other countries.”

Image credits: AP