The Indonesian Navy found fragments likely to have come from the submarine KRI Nanggala 402, which has been missing since Wednesday. Among other things, were found prayer rugs, a bottle of lubricant oil, and a part that kept the torpedoes straight. The discovery of this “authentic evidence”, according to Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Yudo Margono, indicates that there is no hope for the loss of the 53 crew members.
On Wednesday, a dove KRI Nanggala 402 underwater off the coast of Bali for an exercise, but did not appear again. Initial attempts to locate the ship failed. Later in the search, as the submarine is said to have made the final dive, traces of oil on the water were observed. According to Marine Chief of Staff Margono, this could indicate an oil tank leak, or an attempt by the crew to empty fuel so that the submarine subsides and may float to the surface. According to calculations, until Saturday there was enough oxygen on board. A “strongly magnetized” object was measured on Saturday at depths between 600 and 700 meters. This is much deeper than the 200 meters the hull could handle before collapsing under water pressure.
Indonesia no longer considers the submarine missing, but assumes that the boat should be considered lost. The United States, Malaysia, and Australia have sent aircraft and ships to help search for and recover the submarine. Originally built in Germany, KRI Nanggala 402 entered service with the Indonesian Navy in 1981.
