MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine submarine crew families have been told their loved ones “are all dead”
Families of crew lost in the Argentine ARA San Juan submarine have been told their loved ones “are all dead” after an explosion on the day the vessel disappeared, according to reports. Family members claimed on Thursday they had already received phone calls from Navy officials telling them the entire crew had perished in a blast, believed to have taken place between 180m and 900m below the surface. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesVery sad news. Meanwhile some Argentinian politicians have been blaming the UK - The deputy of the Mercosur Parliament for Argentina, Alejandro Karlen said that different hypotheses, including the possibility of a British attack on the Argentine ship would be investigated. (Ellitoral.com.ar 23 Nov).
Nov 24th, 2017 - 10:44 am - Link - Report abuse +2Very sad news indeed. We were all hoping for a miracle. This is especially dire if the Navy knew that the sailors were dead all along and didn't inform the families immediately.
Nov 24th, 2017 - 10:59 am - Link - Report abuse +5Brit Bob - I can't say I'm surprised that some Argentine politicians are looking to shift the blame. With them it's anything except accept responsibility for anything. However once the sub is found it will be quite apparent what caused it's demise...and that is Argentine government neglect and incompetence.
The last message the sub sent out spoke of a problem with one of the batteries. It is possible that said battery could have started leaking hydrogen into the air...once too much of that has accumulated it wouldn't take more than a spark to set off an explosion, and inside a confined space such as a submarine that is underwater the results would be cataclysmic. Sadly I doubt anyone would have survived either the blast or the ship breaking up.
Nov 24th, 2017 - 12:58 pm - Link - Report abuse +3It looks like the head of the Argentine Navy hasn't been honest even with the Argentine government. Guess his will be the first head to roll. The first of many, no doubt.
Nov 24th, 2017 - 02:53 pm - Link - Report abuse +4https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/883869/argentina-submarine-san-juan-missing-officials-press
It looks like he was being deliberately obstructive, not only of passing information to the government, but also about accepting help from Chile, the USA, the UK and others.
Whilst I still hope that there will be a miracle and that they'll be found alive, it's now doubtful that there are any survivors. This disaster is one that can't just be 'neatly' brushed under the carpet...it will have lasting consequences.
Hopefully Macri's government will do an thorough in-depth investigation and pin the blame on the numerous corrupt officials, who greed and incompetence led to this disaster.
I am only guessing but I suspect the head of the Argentine Navy was probably desperately trying to find someone, anyone, to blame, other than himself for sending a seemingly unseaworthy vessel out to sea.
Nov 24th, 2017 - 04:09 pm - Link - Report abuse +3My sympathy is directed ONLY to the captain and crew of this vessel and their families. The Argentine Navy has performed abysmally from the very beginning and I believe that when(or if) the boat is ever recovered it will be shown that shoddy workmanship in the dockyard during the refit is entirely to blame for this catastrophe.
Nov 24th, 2017 - 04:36 pm - Link - Report abuse +5Here in Portsmouth, the heart of the Royal Navy, prayers will be said for the victims and their families over the next weekend.
@Chris
Nov 24th, 2017 - 05:03 pm - Link - Report abuse +2I believe the US lost a submarine to a battery explosion and subsequent electrical fire - USS Cochino, which fortunately was able to surface. They lost one civilian engineer and six sailors from another nearby sub that rescued them.
The problem they had wasn't restricted to the batteries giving off hydrogen, they were also giving off chlorine gas at the same rate. Because they could get to the surface they stood a chance and were nearly able to save the sub until a second explosion wrecked it.
Brit Bob
Nov 25th, 2017 - 09:46 am - Link - Report abuse +1”, including the possibility of a British attack on the Argentine ship would be investigated. (Ellitoral.com.ar 23 Nov)”
At a tragic time like this , and especially when the UK has offered every help to help find the submarine or help rescue the crew, despite differences between the two countries, it is sad to see that some Argentine politicians are still stuck in fantasy land.
Probably the same idiots that think Rapiers are intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The international community has shown Argentina there is a wider world out there that is willing to help during a crisis.
The idiot part of the Argentine political machine should not look a gift horse in the mouth.
And here is me thinking that Rapiers were a fighting sword, well blow me down with a feather.
Nov 25th, 2017 - 12:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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