Indonesian military says submarine is missing with 53 on board
Indonesia’s navy was searching for a submarine that went missing north of the resort island of Bali with 53 people on board, the military said Wednesday.
Military chief Hadi Tjahjanto said the KRI Nanggala 402 was participating in a training exercise when it missed a scheduled reporting call.
The submarine is believed to have disappeared in waters about 60 miles north of Bali, he said.
Tjahjanto said the navy had deployed ships to search the area and had asked for help from Singapore and Australia, which have submarine rescue vessels.
A former L.A. resident is being deported from the Indonesian island of Bali following her tweets celebrating it as a low-cost, LGBTQ-friendly place.
Local media reports said the navy believed the ship sank into a trough at a depth of 2,300 feet.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that the submarine lost contact after being granted clearance to dive. It said a helicopter later spotted an oil spill near the dive’s starting position.
It said the submarine was carrying 49 crew members, its commander and three gunners.
The German-built submarine, which has been in service since the early 1980s, was rehearsing for a missile-firing exercise scheduled to take place Thursday. Tjahjanto and other military leaders are to attend.
Indonesia currently has a fleet of five submarines and plans to operate at least eight by 2024.
The country has faced growing challenges to its maritime claims in recent years, including numerous incidents involving Chinese vessels near the Natuna islands.
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