Explosion heard after navy loses contact with submarine

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina — The nation’s navy announced Thursday that a sound detected during the search for a missing submarine apparently came from an explosion — 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.”

“According to this report, there was an explosion,” Balbi told reporters. “We don’t know what caused an explosion of these characteristics at this site on this date.”

U.S. and specialist agencies said the “hydroacoustic anomaly” was produced just hours after the navy lost contact with the submarine on Nov. 15.

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. “They inaugurated a submarine with a coat of paint and a flag in 2014, but without any equipment inside. The navy is to blame for its 15 years of abandonment.”

During a 2014 $12 million retrofitting, the vessel was cut in half and had its engines and batteries replaced. Experts say that refits involve integrating systems produced by different manufacturers and even the smallest mistake can put the safety of the ship and the crew at risk.