--- title: "Missing Submarine Running Out of Oxygen, Experts Fear" description: "The Indonesian navy is running out of time to track down a lost submarine with a crew of 53 on board off the north coast of Bali." date: "2021-04-22" modified: "2021-04-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/missing-submarine-oxygen" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "indonesia" - "submarine" - "the digest" --- # Missing Submarine Running Out of Oxygen, Experts Fear ![The Indonesian navy is running out of time to track down a lost submarine with a crew of 53 on board off the north coast of Bali.]() *\Image: Image via Pixabay/Futurism\* ## Air Crisis The Indonesian navy is running out of time to track down a lost submarine with a crew of 53 on board off the north coast of Bali, as [*Business Insider* reports](). The vessel, the KRI Nanggala-402, only has enough oxygen to last the crew on board until Saturday, according to a televised press conference on Thursday. The navy lost contact with the submarine at around 4:30 am local time on Wednesday after it was involved in a training exercise. Officials have reached out to both Singapore and Australia for help, [*NBC* report**s**](). "We cannot say for sure if the vessel has sunk, but if it has, the crew may be running out of oxygen," Indonesian defense minister Prabowo Subianto said during today's press conference, as quoted by *BI*. ## Rescue Efforts Rescue teams made up of six warships, a helicopter, and 400 people are now involved in the rescue efforts, [according to the *BBC*](). [*Reuters* also reported]() that a helicopter spotted an oil spill near where the submarine started its dive Wednesday morning. According to Navy officials, that could mean either the fuel tank was damaged or the crew is sending a signal. "We know the area but it's quite deep," first admiral Julius Widjojono [told *Agence France Presse*](). Officials are worried the submarine may have sunk to 600 to 700 meters, as *Reuters* reported, well beyond the levels of pressure it was designed to sustain. Time is running out, in other words, but there is still a chance the crew is still alive. **READ MORE:** [Missing Indonesian submarine has 72 hours of oxygen left, navy says]() \[*BBC*\] **More on the incident:** *[A submarine is missing, with 53 on board]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()