April 25, 2021

The Indonesian military said Saturday that its submarine with 53 crew members on board lost at sea last week had sunk and cracked open in the Bali Sea.

The announcement came after search and rescue teams found debris floating around the vessel’s last location, ending hope of finding any survivors.

Speaking to reporters in Bali, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Yudo Margono said that “with the authentic evidence we found believed to be from the submarine, we have now moved from the ‘submiss’ phase to ‘subsunk,’ adding that it did not seem it was an explosion that caused the vessel to sink.

“The cracks happened gradually in some parts when it went down from 300 meters to 400 meters to 500 meters. ... If there was an explosion, it would be heard by the sonar,” Margono said.

Chief of U.S. Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday said he was deeply saddened to learn of the sub’s sinking. In a statement Saturday he said that “as Sailors, we share a love for the sea and have a bond of fellowship with all who sail on it. We have a respect for its dangers and also understand the importance of the worlds’ oceans to our collective way of life.”

Gilday reaffirmed that Indonesia is a good friend and partner of the United States. “Despite this tragic loss,” he said, “it is my hope that we will continue to operate together in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

The cause of the submarine’s disappearance is yet to be determined, as experts from Indonesia and other countries are in the process of evaluating the findings.

The Indonesian navy had previously said an electrical failure could have prevented the submarine from executing emergency procedures to resurface.

 

Photo: Webshot