Officials are still unsure on how a military submarine resulted in 53 casualties being sunk earlier this month. The investigation has pointed that the underwater vessel may have been hit by an invisible force during the training exercise in the treacherous waters off Bali.
IN PICTURES: Visual images taken by Singapore's MV Swift Rescue confirm Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala 402 has sunk and broken into at least 3 parts in the Bali Sea https://t.co/JYxImjo5W7
(Photos: Indonesian Navy) pic.twitter.com/HeXoKRBbxc
— CNA (@ChannelNewsAsia) April 25, 2021
Internal solitary waves are invisible but have the strength to drag a submarine down to dangerous depths. The report said Indonesian naval officials consulted satellite images from the region and determined that these kinds of massive waves were in the area at the time of the sinking. While there are many other theories surrounding this modern-day mystery, it appears that the evidence suggests that this type of wave caused the mass casualty event.
"Even though I'm not ready to be missing you, I'm not ready to live without you. I wish all the best for you"
Indonesian Navy releases video of the KRI Nanggala 402 submarine crew singing a farewell song.
All 53 on board have been confirmed dead.#KRINaggala402 #IndonesianNavy pic.twitter.com/UCGhuDtU8t
— Nishan Chilkuri (@nishanchilkuri) April 26, 2021
The commander of the Indonesian Navy Command, Rear Adm. Iwan Isnurwanto, informed that the wave may have “moved up from the bottom to the north, and there’s a trench between two mountains.”
“There was nothing that they could do, no time to do anything… if the sub was brought down by such a wave. It likely angled [downward], causing all the crew members to roll down,” Isnurwanto said. “We have to do further investigation, but that is most likely what happened.”
Images of the lost submarine were recovered by an underwater robotic drone. Those images found showed the vessel in multiple pieces strewn along the ocean floor at a depth of 2,750 feet.
These new findings contradict recent reports of the cause of the submarine sinking. The Indonesian officials have previously blamed the sinking of the submarine on an electrical failure that caused the submarine to be unable to execute emergency procedures to resurface. Other theories also included a missile strike or catastrophic blackout.
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