KOMPAS.com – Indonesia Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto announced that all 53 crew members of the KRI Nanggala 402 submarine have died.
Visual images of KRI Nanggala 402 confirmed that the Indonesian submarine has sunk and broken into at least three parts in the Bali Sea. The images captured some objects such as its rear vertical rudder, anchors, and live vests.
Meanwhile, another tragedy occurred in Papua. The Regional Intelligence Agency head in Papua, Brigadier General Gusti Putu Danny Nugraha, was shot dead by an armed criminal group (KKB) in Beoga district, Papua on Sunday, April 25.
Below are excerpts from the stories in Indonesia, curated by Kompas.com editors:
All 53 Crew Members of KRI Nanggala 402 Submarine Have Fallen, Says Indonesia Military Commander
Indonesia Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto announced that all 53 crew members of the KRI Nanggala 402 submarine have died.
“The 53 crew members on board the KRI Nanggala 402 submarine have fallen,” Hadi said with a lump in his throat during a press conference on Sunday, April 25.
On behalf of the Indonesian soldiers, he expressed their deep sorrow over this tragedy, especially to the families of the submarine crew. He said that visual images of KRI Nanggala 402 confirmed that the Indonesian submarine has sunk and broken into at least three parts in the Bali Sea. The images captured some objects such as its rear vertical rudder, anchors, and live vests.
The images were obtained by the Singapore Navy's submarine rescue vessel, the MV Swift Rescue.
Based on the authentic evidence, he could confirm that the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine sank and all of its crew had died. “We hope that we can continue the work of our brothers, the best Indonesian soldiers," he said.
The search for the German-built vessel began on Wednesday, April 21 when it lost contact in the morning. The 44-year-old vessel went missing north of the resort island of Bali when it was rehearsing for a missile-firing exercise scheduled for Thursday last week.
The vessel sank in deep blue waters about 95 kilometers north of Bali shortly after it had been granted clearance to dive. The vessel disappeared and it was reported that it only had enough oxygen for the crew to survive up to three days.