Missing Argentine Submarine: ‘Explosion’ Heard

The Argentine navy says an event consistent with an explosion was recorded near where a submarine disappeared last week with 44 crew on board, according to BBC.

A navy spokesman said an “abnormal, singular, short, violent, non-nuclear event” had been detected in the south Atlantic.

The ARA San Juan disappeared last Wednesday.

More than a dozen countries including Russia and the US have sent assistance.

Spokesman Captain Enrique Balbi said the Argentine navy had been informed of the suspected explosion, which took place near the submarine’s last known location.

Captain Balbi said the navy only knew the location of the suspected explosion, not its cause.

Search efforts would be concentrated in the area, he said.

On Wednesday, Captain Balbi said oxygen would be running out on board the vessel.

Relatives have been waiting for news outside the Mar del Plata naval base.

One crew member’s sister said: “I feel like I’m waiting for a corpse.”

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay and the UK are among the countries that have sent either ships or planes to help with the search.

The US navy has deployed two underwater vehicles which use sonar to create images of the sea floor.

A Nasa research aircraft has also flown over the search area but failed to spot anything.

The ARA San Juan was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southern-most tip of South America, when it reported an “electrical breakdown”.