(UTV | INDONESIA) – Indonesian rescue teams are fearing the worst as oxygen supplies on a missing Indonesian naval submarine are thought to have run out.
There are fears the vessel carrying 53 crew may already have sunk to a depth where it might have been crushed.
The KRI Nanggala 402 disappeared on Wednesday during exercises off the coast of Bali, sparking a frantic search to locate the stricken vessel.
Australia, India, Malaysia and Singapore have so far sent assistance.
And a US Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft landed in Bali early on Saturday morning.
“Indonesia is a good friend and strategic partner. We were all deeply saddened to see the reports about their submarine and our thoughts and our prayers are with the Indonesian sailors, the Indonesian navy, and of course all their families,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.
An oil slick where it was thought to have submerged suggested damage to a fuel tank may have been a factor.