Noise investigated in hunt for missing sub

ARGENTINA’S navy said last night it was investigating a noise detected in the South Atlantic hours after it last communicated with a missing submarine and its 44-member crew.

Captain Enrique Balbi, a navy spokesman, said the “hydro-acoustic anomaly” was detected almost three hours after the last communication with the San Juan on Nov 15, 30 miles north of its last known position. He declined to say whether it indicated an explosion or other on-board emergency.

The search for the submarine reached “critical” yesterday amid fears that the crew could be on their last day of oxygen.

Hopes had briefly been raised earlier yesterday by reports in Argentine media that a “signal” and “heat patch” had been detected overnight.

Britain’s HMS Protector spotted three flares, Capt Balbi reported, and craft equipped with sonar, infrared and magnetic detection technology were scrambled to the area.

However, a thorough search yielded nothing.

Capt Balbi admitted that a week after the submarine’s disappearance following a technical fault, the situation was critical. If the submarine has not been able to surface, its seven-day oxygen supply could now be running out.

More than 4,000 personnel from 12 countries are now scouring the South Atlantic search zone.