A scan has located the missing Indonesian navy submarine around 850m (2,789ft) beneath the sea, according to military chiefs.
Rescue teams frantically searching for the KRI Nanggala 402, which disappeared during a training exercise in waters north of the island of Bali on Wednesday, have also recovered debris from the vessel, indicating it has sunk.
The discovery came as the oxygen supply for the 53 crew members of the submarine was due to have run out.
Items recovered from the water include a grease bottle believed to be used to oil the periscope and prayer mats.
Image:
Debris thought to be from the missing sub was shown at a news conference
Navy Chief Yudo Margono said: “With the authentic eence we found believed to be from the submarine, we have now moved from the ‘sub miss’ phase to ‘sub sunk’.”
The 43-year-old submarine was conducting a torpedo drill on Wednesday but failed to relay the results as expected and had been silent ever since.
Family members had been holding out hope that the large search effort would find the sub in time.
Ratih Wardhani, the sister of 49-year-old crewman Wisnu Subiyantoro, said: “The family is in a good condition and keeps praying.
“We are optimistic that the Nanggala can be rescued with all the crew.”
Image:
The submarine was last heard from at a location around 26.5 nautical miles northwest of Singaraja, off the northern coast of Bali
Berda Asmara, the wife of crew member Guntur Ari Prasetyo, 39, said when she last spoke to her husband before he set sail he “asked me to pray for him”.
She added: “I hope that they will be found alive.”
Indonesia’s navy said it was investigating whether the vessel lost power during a dive and could not carry out emergency procedures as it descended.
An aerial search had previously spotted an oil spill near the sub’s last location.
The Bali Sea can reach depths of more than 1,500m (4,921ft).
Indonesian President Joko Widodo had asked Indonesians to pray for the crew’s safe return.
The KRI Nanggala 402 joined the Indonesian fleet in 1981, according to the defence ministry, and underwent a refit in South Korea completed in 2012.
It was said to be in good condition.
