A Submarine He lost contact with 53 people after an exercise near the Indonesian island BaliA spokesman for the Indonesian Navy told local media.

Said Hadi Tajanto, commander-in-chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces.Nangala”(Identification Code 402), one of the two Kakra class submarines on board the Indonesian ship, was attending an exercise when a scheduled report call was missed. Jakarta authorities believe the submarine disappeared in waters 60 miles (95 km) north of Bali.

Send dozens of research ships

Tajanto said the navy has activated dozens of ships, including an area for hydrographic studies, and has sought help from Singapore and Australia, which have submarine rescue ships. Shortly after the request for assistance, in fact, the Navy’s Swift Rescue (SSRV) in the Republic of Singapore was deployed in the Bali Sea. The Ministry of Defense said the submarine lost contact after being allowed to sink at 3 a.m. local time and that a helicopter later spotted a black patch – mostly oil – near the boat’s dive location.

The submarine had 49 crew members, a commander and three gunmen. According to the Indonesian Navy, a Electrical failure During the dive, the submarine loses its trim and thus makes it impossible to undertake emergency procedures that allow it to rise again. The latest news is that the submarine unit provides a depth of 600 to 700 meters.

In service since 1980

The Kakra Class is of German construction and has been in service with the Indonesian Navy since 1981: the missing submarine was established in 1979. As far as is known, “Nangala” will reach the sea and conduct a fire drill tomorrow, Thursday, April 22 to conduct inspections. The submarine was to launch a torpedo.

Indonesia currently has five submarines: in addition to two ships, it has three state-of-the-art powers. Class passes, Built in conjunction with South Korea and plans to buy three more by 2024.

The world’s largest island nation of 17,000 islands faces increasing challenges related to maritime claims: on par with other states South China Sea, Jakarta opposes China’s attempt at nationalization. In particular, in recent years, there have been numerous accidents with Chinese ships near the native islands. As reported Associated PressDuring a visit to the islands off the edge of the South China Sea last year, President Joko Widodo reiterated the country’s sovereignty over disputed waters.

The visit comes a week after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Zhuang insisted that Chinese fishermen be free to trade in areas that China claims are traditional Chinese fishing grounds.

Geng’s statement angered Indonesia and prompted the military to increase its presence on the islands. Although China has been claiming this water for years, it has further infiltrated the Indonesian Sea with dozens of Chinese-flagged fishing boats escorted by Coast Guard ships and refused to abandon it, despite notices from the Jakarta Navy.