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Indonesian officer hunting for missing submarine looks at pictures of lost crew as search team hones in on radar contact with oxygen set to run out in just hours
Oxygen reserves on a missing Indonesian submarine are down to the final few hours as officials from the country desperately hone in on a radar signal detected from an unidentified object today.
The ramped-up hunt comes as Australia and the United States are set to join the search off the coast of Bali where the sub disappeared more than two days ago during training exercises.
Late yesterday, the military said it picked up signs of an object with high magnetism at a depth of between 50 and 100 metres (165 and 330 feet).
Ships equipped with specialised tracking equipment were deployed in the hope that the object could be the KRI Nanggala 402, which was equipped with oxygen reserves that could last until around 3am local time on Saturday (8pm BST), authorities said.
'We've only got until 3.00am tomorrow (Saturday) so we're maximising all of our efforts today,' said Indonesian military spokesman Achmad Riad.
'Hopefully there will be a bright spot.'
Despite hopes for a miracle, an oil spill spotted where the submarine was thought to have submerged pointed to possible fuel-tank damage.
Yesterday, the US military said it would send airborne teams to help in the search, while Australia said two ships were on their way to assist.
Neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia have already dispatched ships that are expected to arrive at the weekend, including the city-state's MV Swift Rescue - a submarine rescue vessel.
India said Thursday it had sent a ship to assist in the hunt.
'If there is serious damage on the boat itself, it could potentially mean a few things, for example, there will be very limited spaces for the crew with very limited oxygen,' said Collin Koh, a naval affairs specialist and research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
'It could also mean that the reserve tanks for the oxygen might potentially be damaged as well. So it will further reduce the oxygen level.'
Submarines are equipped to prevent carbon dioxide buildup, but if the equipment was damaged that could also pose a serious risk, Koh added.
'It's not just about whether there will be enough oxygen, but it's also about the level of carbon dioxide within the interior that could determine the fate of the submariners,' he said.
Yesterday, rescuers searching for an Indonesian submarine have found an unidentified object with high magnetism at a depth of 165 to 330ft (50 to 100 metres) that officials hope is the missing vessel.
Indonesian navy ships were today continuing to scour the seas off Bali amid fears the sub may have sunk too deep to save after it went missing in 2,300ft waters on Wednesday.
Authorities said oxygen in the submarine would run out by early Saturday, making it a race against time to find the 53 sailors on board.
The German-made KRI Nanggala-402 was conducting a torpedo drill in waters 60 miles north of the island of Bali but failed to relay the results as expected, prompting an international search operation.
Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Yudo Margono has said the sailors have enough oxygen to last them until 3am on Saturday.
'The submarine's oxygen reserve capacity in a blackout is 72 hours', Margono told reporters. 'There's time until Saturday around 3am. Let's hope we can find them before then.'
But a glimmer of hope had emerged, he said, after authorities found an item with 'high magnetic force' floating at a depth of 165 to 330ft.
The military said more than 20 navy ships, two submarines and five aircraft were searching the area where the submarine was last detected.
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Navy spokesman Julius Widjojono said on Thursday that search teams were focused on an area around the oil slick, but that the exact location of the vessel had yet to be pinpointed.
'It has not been found yet,' Widjojono said. 'But we've detected the area...Today, around 400 personnel have been deployed.'
Six warships and a helicopter have been sent out to look for the sub, the navy said.
'We are obviously very concerned about these reports. It's very distressing for families and particularly for the Indonesian navy,' Australian foreign minister Marise Payne told broadcaster ABC.
'We've indicated that we will help in any way we can.'
Indonesian President Joko Widodo asked all of the country's people to pray that the submarine and crew could be found.
'Our main priority is the safety of the 53 crew members,' Widodo said in a televised address. 'To the families of the crew members, I can understand your feelings and we are doing our best to save all of the crew members on board.'
The 44-year-old submarine had asked for permission to dive to conduct the live torpedo exercises.
'After permission was given according to the procedure, the submarine lost contact and could not be reached,' Indonesia's Defence Ministry said.
An aerial search by a helicopter later found an oil spill in waters where the submarine was thought to have submerged. The navy deployed two vessels with sonar capability to assist the hunt, the ministry said.
The navy requested help from other nations with submarine rescue vessels and Australia, Singapore and India have responded, the ministry said in a statement.
Rescue ships from Singapore and Malaysia are expected to arrive between Saturday and Monday. The Indonesian military said Australia, the United States, Germany, France, Russia, India and Turkey have also offered assistance. South Korea said it has also offered help.
'The news of the missing submarine is deeply concerning,' Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said during a visit to New Zealand. 'We will provide any assistance that we can. There's no question that submarine search and rescues are very complex.'
