Sound heard in sub search from ‘explosion’

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, and some to say they had lost all hope of rescue.

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. “We don’t know what caused an explosion of these characteristics at this site on this date.”

The sub was originally scheduled to arrive Monday at the Mar del Plata Navy Base, about 250 miles (400 kilometres) southeast of Buenos Aires. Relatives of the crew who have gathered at the base to receive psychological counselling broke into tears and hugged each other after they received the news. Some fell on their knees or clung to a fence crowded with blue-andwhite Argentine flags, rosary beads and messages of support. Most declined to speak, while a few others lashed out in anger.