Apparent explosion occurred near missing submarine

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina — An apparent explosion occurred near the time and place an Argentine submarine went missing, the country’s navy reported Thursday — an ominous development that prompted relatives of the 44 crew members to burst into tears.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said the search will continue until there is full certainty about the fate of the ARA San Juan. He said evidence showed “an anomalous event that was singular, short, violent and non-nuclear that was consistent with an explosion.”

The U.S. Navy and an international nuclear test-ban monitoring organization said the “hydro-acoustic anomaly” was produced just hours after the navy lost contact with the submarine on Nov. 15. “According to this report, there was an explosion,” Balbi told reporters.

The sub was originally scheduled to arrive Monday at the Mar del Plata Navy Base, about 250 miles southeast of Buenos Aires. Relatives of the crew who have gathered at the base to receive psychological counseling broke into tears and hugged each other after they received the news.

“They sent a piece of crap to sail,” said Itati Leguizamon, wife of submarine crew member German Suarez.

The German-built diesel-electric TR-1700 class submarine was commissioned in 1985 and was most recently refit in 2014.

Experts say that refits can be difficult because they involve integrating systems produced by different manufacturers and even the smallest mistake during the cutting phase of the operation can put the safety of the ship and the crew at risk.