Confirmed Sinking of Indonesian Submarine with 53 Onboard... "Wreckage Found, All Passengers Presumed Dead"

The Indonesian Navy submarine 'Alugoro' conducted search operations on the 22nd (local time) near the waters off Bali Island for the Navy submarine 'Nanggala' (402), which went missing during training the previous day. (Photo by EPA, Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] The Indonesian military authorities announced that the submarine Nanggala, which went missing during training with 53 people on board, has been confirmed to have sunk.

On the afternoon of the 24th (local time), Hadi Tjahjanto, Commander of the Indonesian Joint Forces, held a press conference and stated, "After conducting a 72-hour search operation to find the missing Nanggala, we confirmed signs of sinking," adding, "The oxygen supply for the occupants, which could last 72 hours, ran out early this morning." He continued, "We discovered oil spill traces and various debris as evidence of the sinking," and said, "We also found torpedo-related parts, cooling components, lubricant bottles used for the periscope, as well as prayer mats and sponges."

The military authorities reported that multiple debris were found within a 10 km radius of the search area, and it is estimated that the submarine sank to a depth of 850 meters underwater.

The German-made conventional 1,400-ton submarine Nanggala went missing after diving for torpedo training at around 3:25 a.m. on the 21st (Jakarta time) in waters 96 km north of Bali Island. There were 49 crew members, 1 commander, and 3 weapons officials on board, and it was initially estimated that Nanggala sank to a depth of 600 to 700 meters underwater.

It is highly likely that flooding occurred during the dive, causing a power outage and loss of control, resulting in the submarine sinking into the deep sea. Submarine experts stated, "Nanggala is a conventional submarine built 40 years ago, with a maximum diving depth of 250 meters, so if it sank beyond 600 meters, the hull would have already been crushed at the time of the accident, making survival impossible for those on board."

The Indonesian military announced that it will continue the search operation for Nanggala with support from several countries.