Indonesia: Search on for Submarine Missing off Bali

The Indonesian military is searching for a Navy submarine carrying a crew of 53 that went missing during an exercise off Bali on Wednesday, officials confirmed.

The German-made KRI Nanggala-402 disappeared about 95 km (59 miles) north of the island at about 3 a.m. after being cleared to dive, Navy spokesman Julius Widjojono said, adding that an electrical failure could have caused the crew to lose control.

“The submarine was about to simulate a torpedo attack, but it failed to report back and we lost contact,” Julius told BenarNews. “At least 53 crew members were in the submarine.”

The Associated Press reported the submarine was carrying a crew of 49 along with its commander and three gunners.

“The result of a temporary analysis shows that there is a possibility of an electrical failure resulting in the crew losing control of it and not being able to carry out emergency procedures,” Julius said.

Late Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said that a helicopter conducting surveillance of the area where the submarine was last seen had reported an oil slick in the water.

The oil spill may have resulted from possible damage to the sub’s fuel tank caused by water pressure, Julius said.

In addition to the helicopter, the military deployed several ships equipped with sonar technology to locate the submarine. The military also reached out to Singapore and Australia, which have rescue vessels, to assist in the search, officials said, adding that navies from those countries and others, including India, have offered to assist.