--- title: "A Submarine Is Missing, With 53 on Board" description: "Indonesia's navy says it has completely lost track of a submarine with 53 people on board, NBC News reports." date: "2021-04-21" modified: "2021-04-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/submarine-missing-indonesia" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "indonesia" - "submarine" - "the digest" --- # A Submarine Is Missing, With 53 on Board ![Indonesia's navy says it has completely lost track of a submarine with 53 people on board, NBC News reports.]() *\Image: Image via Pixabay / Futurism\* ## Lost Contact Indonesia's navy says it has completely lost contact with a submarine with 53 people on board, [*NBC News* reports](). The vessel, the 44-year-old German-built KRI Nanggala 402, was involved in a training exercise when it went missing north of the coast of the island of Bali. "We are still searching in the waters of Bali, 60 miles (96 km) from Bali, \[for\] 53 people," Indonesia's military chief Hadi Tjahjanto [told *Reuters*]() in a text message. According to Tjahanto, contact was lost around 4:30am local time on Wednesday. Indonesia has deployed several ships to search the area, including a survey ship. It has also asked Singapore and Australia to send help by sending submarine rescue vessels, according to *NBC*. According to Indonesia's Defense Ministry, the submarine was granted clearance to dive and promptly went missing after. ## Oil Spill The navy also noted that a helicopter [spotted an oil spill]() near the location where it was given permission to dive, which may either mean the submarine's fuel tank was damaged or the crew is sending a signal. "It is possible that during static diving, a blackout occurred so control was lost and emergency procedures cannot be carried out and the ship falls to a depth of 600-700 meters \[2,000 to 2,300 feet\]," a statement by the Navy read, as quoted by *Reuters*. That's a serious issue, considering the submarine can only sustain pressure at a maximum 250 meters (820 feet). Indonesia has had trouble with aging military equipment in the past, including an air force [plane crash in 2016]() that killed all 13 occupants. **READ MORE:** [Search for missing Indonesian submarine reveals oil spill]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on Indonesia:** *[Watch an Oil Refinery Explode After Possibly Getting Hit by Lightning]()* ## 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]()