Indonesian Submarine Which Went Missing a Week Ago Found With All 53 Crew Members Dead

It has been confirmed that all 53 crew members of a submarine that went missing last week are dead. Although many hoped for the best, all details earlier gathered pointed to the fact that this was a possibility.

Indonesia's military confirmed on Sunday that a submarine, KRI Nanggala 402, that went missing last week had been found with all its crew members dead.

This devastating news came a day after the officials stated that the submarine had sunk rather than the initial hypothesis that it was merely missing.

The ruins from the wreckage were discovered at the bottom of the ocean a few days after search parties were deployed to find the missing submarine.

The officials also reported earlier that the oxygen supply of the submarine would have run out three days after it went missing. The military chief Hadi Tjahjanto said this during an interview on Sunday:

"We received underwater pictures...With this authentic evidence, we can declare that KRI Nanggala 402 has sunk, and all the crew members are dead."

The officials came to this conclusion after underwater robots equipped with cameras were sent down into the ocean to discover the ruins and what's left of the submarine; KRI Nanggala 402 was found broken into three pieces.

Although the cause of the damage is still unknown, the navy speculated that an electrical failure could have made the submarine unable to signal for help.

A video of the crew members singing their hearts out while on the submarine a few weeks ago was shared by the navy.

Also, emergency survival suits were found at the bottom of the ocean, suggesting that the crew members probably tried them to keep safe before meeting their untimely death.

Now that the damage is apparent, the navy is trying all they can to lift the bodies out of the water and recover the dead. However, this might pose some difficulties due to the depth of the body of water. They have, however, promised to do all they can.

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has also given his two cents on the matter. During a televised address on Sunday, Widodo sent his condolences to the families and friends of those who lost a loved one on the submarine.

He called those that were lost patriots and said they are the best sons of the nation. KRI Nanggala 402 was on a torpedo drill when it met its end.

To lift people's spirits, a video of the crew members singing their hearts out while on the submarine a few weeks ago was shared by the navy.

The video was taken during a farewell celebration for the outgoing commander of the navy's submarine corps. Families of the deceased crew members have since poured out in their numbers by the seashore in Bali, close to where KRI Nanggala 402 sank.