Hunt for lost submarine

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s Navy said Friday it has lost contact with a submarine carrying 44 crew members off the country’s southern coast and has mounted an extensive search.

The Navy said that ships and aircraft were searching near the last known location of the ARA San Juan, a German-built dieselelectric vessel, which has not been heard from since Wednesday.

It is possible that the submarine had an electrical issue and said it could not yet be termed lost, Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said. “The last position (registered) was two days ago. Without wanting to be alarmist or overdramatic, the facts are that no form of communications could be established between the vessel and its command, even with the alternative methods that the submarine has,” Balbi said.

Adm. Gabriel Gonzalez, chief of the Mar del Plata base that was the submarine’s destination, said the vessel had sufficient food and oxygen.

The sub was headed from the southern naval base at Ushuaia to Mar del Plata, about 250 miles southeast of Buenos Aires.