Search for missing Indonesian submarine enters second day as neighbours offer help

Members of the Indonesia Rescue Agency prepare to take part in the search operation for an Indonesian Navy submarine that went missing. PHOTO: AFP
Members of the Indonesia Rescue Agency and marine police prepare to take part in the search operation. PHOTO: AFP

JAKARTA (REUTERS) - A search for an Indonesian submarine that went missing with 53 people on board continued on Thursday (April 22) after rescuers found an oil spill near where the vessel dived and as neighbouring countries pledged to help.

The 44-year-old submarine, KRI Nanggala-402, was conducting a torpedo drill in waters north of the island of Bali on Wednesday but failed to relay the results as expected, a navy spokesman said.

An aerial search found an oil spill near the submarine's dive location and two navy vessels with sonar capability have been deployed to assist in the search, the Defence Ministry said.

A navy spokesman said the diesel-powered submarine that runs on electric batteries while submerged could sustain a depth of 250-500 metres.

“Anything more than that can be pretty fatal, dangerous,” First Admiral Julius Widjojono told KompasTV.

In a statement on Wednesday, the navy said: “It is possible that during static diving, a blackout occurred so control was lost and emergency procedures cannot be carried out and the ship falls to a depth of 600-700 metres.”

The seas in the area are shallower than in other parts of the archipelago but can be more than 1,500 metres deep.

The defence ministry said Australia, Singapore and India had responded to requests for assistance.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia would “help in any way we can”.

“We operate very different submarines from this one, but the Australian Defence Force ... will work with defence operations in Indonesia to determine what we may be able to do,” Payne told ABC radio.

Indonesia's military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told Reuters in a text message on Wednesday that contact with the vessel was lost at 4.30am and a search was underway for the submarine and its 53 crew in ocean 96km off Bali.

The oil slick could indicate damage to the vessel or could be a signal from the crew, the navy said.

A Search and Rescue ship prepare to depart for an operation following a report of the missing Indonesian submarine, on April 21, 2021. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

The 1,395-tonne KRI Nanggala-402 was built in Germany in 1977, according to the defence ministry, and joined the Indonesian fleet in 1981. It underwent a two-year refit in South Korea that was completed in 2012.

Indonesia in the past operated a fleet of 12 submarines bought from the Soviet Union to patrol the waters of its sprawling archipelago.

But now it has a fleet of only five including two German-built Type 209 submarines and three newer South Korean vessels.

Indonesia has been seeking to modernise its defence capabilities but some of its equipment is old and there have been deadly accidents in recent years.

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