Missing Indonesian submarine: US, Australia help search for 53 crew members running low on oxygen

KRI Nanggala 402 submarine is expected to run out of oxygen by early Saturday morning

By Peter Aitken | Fox News

Indonesia’s navy has stepped up efforts to locate a missing submarine, enlisting the U.S.‘ and Australia’s help as the 53 crew members aboard the vessel survive on less than a day’s worth of oxygen.

The KRI Nanggala 402 went missing after its last reported dive Wednesday while participating in training off the coast of Bali. Navy officials worry the vessel has dived too deep to reach or recover in time.

“We will maximize the effort today, until the time limit tomorrow at 3 a.m.,” military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Achmad Riad told reporters.

A National Search and Rescue Agency rescue ship sails to join the search for submarine KRI Nanggala that went missing while participating in a training exercise on Wednesday, off Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, Friday, April 23, 2021. (AP Photo)

A fleet of 24 Indonesian ships and a patrol plane scoured the seas around 60 miles north of Bali for the submarine, focusing on an area where an oil slick was found after the disappearance. Singapore, Malaysia and India immediately assisted in the search effort, with other nations offering as well, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.

Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Yudo Margono said the oil could have spilled from a crack in the submarine’s fuel tank, or the crew could have released fuel to reduce the vessel’s weight so it could surface.

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