Story at a glance
- The U.S. military is joining an effort to locate an Indonesian submarine with 53 crew members that went missing during an exercise.
- The KRI Nanggala 402 disappeared Wednesday off the coast of Bali after requesting permission to dive
- The Indonesian military said Thursday night it had deployed ships with sonar tracking after discovering signs of an object between the depth of about 165-330 feet
The U.S. military is joining an effort to locate an Indonesian submarine with 53 crew members that went missing during an exercise.
The KRI Nanggala 402 disappeared Wednesday off the coast of Bali after requesting permission to dive, the BBC reported. Indonesian authorities believe there are only hours of oxygen left in the vessel.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the U.S. is committing airborne assistance to the effort.
“Our thoughts are with the Indonesian sailors and their families,” Kirby tweeted. “At the invitation of the Indonesian government, we are sending airborne assets to assist in the search for the missing submarine.”
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The Indonesian military said Thursday night it had deployed ships with sonar tracking after discovering signs of an object between the depth of about 165-330 feet, according to the BBC.
“We’ve only got until 0300 [Saturday] so we’re maximising all of our efforts today,” said Indonesian military spokesman Achmad Riad. “Hopefully there will be a bright spot.”
Indonesian defense expert Connie Rahakundini Bakrie told Reuters it is possible the submarine crew could still be alive.
“But if the submarine is in a 700-metre sea trough, it will be difficult for them to survive because underwater pressure will cause cracks and ruptures of the steel hull,” Bakrie said.
Ratih Wardhani, whose brother Major Wisnu Subiyantoro is a crew member on the submarine, told the BBC that “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, and they will successfully bring the Nanggala submarine with its 53 personnel to reunite with their families happily,” she said. “That is our hope. We can only support them with our prayers and our optimism that they will return.”
A helicopter, six warships and 400 people have aided in the search so far, the BBC reported. Australia, France and Germany have volunteered their assistance, while Singapore and Malaysia sent ships.
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