Sunken missing sub found broken into pieces

This handout photo taken on Sunday and released by the Indonesia Military shows parts of the missing submarine which has been found cracked apart on the seafloor in waters off Bali. (AFP/Indonesia Military photo)

A missing Indonesian submarine has been found, broken into at least three parts, at the bottom of the Bali Sea, army and navy officials said yesterday, as the president sent condolences to relatives of the 53 crew. Rescuers also found new objects, including a life vest, that they believe belong to those aboard the 44-year old KRI Nanggala-402, which lost contact on Wednesday as it prepared to conduct a torpedo drill. “Based on the evidence, it can be stated that the KRI Nanggala has sunk and all of its crew have died,” military chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters. Navy chief of staff Yudo Margono said the crew were not to blame for the accident and that the submarine did not experience a blackout, blaming “forces of nature”. “The KRI Nanggala is divided into three parts, the hull of the ship, the stern of the ship, and the main parts are all separated, with the main part found cracked,” he said. “There are scattered parts of the submarine and its interior in the water.” President Joko Widodo earlier confirmed the discovery in the Bali Sea and sent the families of the victims his condolences. “All of us Indonesians express our deep sorrow over this tragedy, especially to the families of the submarine crew.” A sonar scan on Saturday detected the submarine at 2,790 feet, far beyond the Nanggala’s diving range. More than a dozen helicopters and ships are searching the area where contact was lost, with the US, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia providing assistance. Navy officials said international help will be crucial in recovering the remains of the vessel. Singapore senior minister Teo Chee Hean wrote on social media late yesterday that a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) sent by the Singapore navy was able to “recover a few critical items from the seabed at depth of more than 800 meters”.