Search for sub survivors ends

ARGENTINA’S navy has ended its search for survivors from the San Juan submarine, two weeks after it vanished in the South Atlantic with 44 crew aboard.

The navy’s mission has now shifted from rescue to recovery, a spokesman said. While it was not possible to definitively confirm the crew had perished, ‘no evidence of a shipwreck was found in the areas explored’, he added.

A senior officer said there was now no expectation of survivors, adding: ‘We are in the middle of a tragedy. We lost 44 comrades.’

The final contact with the 34-year-old German-built diesel-electric sub was on November 15 when it reported it had overcome a mechanical breakdown. Three hours later, a noise similar to an explosion was recorded.