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Updated 2.41 pm
ARGENTINA’S NAVY HAS said that a sound consistent with an explosion has been detected in the area where they are searching for a missing submarine.
The navy had been investigating an unusual noise detected in the South Atlantic hours after it last communicated with a missing submarine.
They have now said that the sound is consistent with an explosion.
The development came as the clock was ticking down on hopes of finding alive the 44 crew members now missing for a week despite a massive search of surface and seabed, amid fears their oxygen had run out.
The ARA San Juan would have had enough oxygen for its crew to survive underwater in the South Atlantic for seven days since its last contact, according to officials. At 7.30am yesterday, that time had elapsed.
Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters earlier a “hydro-acoustic anomaly” was detected in the ocean almost three hours after the last communication with the vessel on 15 November, 48 kilometres north of its last known position.
Argentinian news outlet Radio Mitre is reporting that the navy has said that the anomaly was a “singular violent, and non-nuclear event, consistent with an explosion in the submarine ARA San Juan”.
Information about the unusual noise became available today after being relayed by the United States and “after all the information from all agencies reporting such hydroacoustic events was reviewed”, Balbi explained.
“It would have been a very loud noise” and one that could have been an explosion, a former sub commander told AFP privately.
Poor weather
High seas and poor visibility in the South Atlantic have hampered the search since it began, around 320 kilometres off the Argentine coast. Waves have towered as high as six meters.
The conditions have fed hopes that the vessel may be on the surface undetected.
Despite the mechanical problems it reported during its last contact last Wednesday, the crew could survive indefinitely if the sub retained the ability to rise to the surface to “snort” or replenish its air.
Conditions improved on Tuesday, but the forecast for today is once again poor.
The 34-year-old German-built diesel-electric submarine that was refitted between 2007 and 2014 had flagged a breakdown and said it was diverting to the navy base at Mar del Plata, where most of the crew members live.
It didn’t issue a distress call, however.
Jessica Gopar posted a moving letter to her husband, San Juan crewman Fernando Santilli, father of their one-year-old baby, on Facebook.
“Hi, Fernando. I don’t know if this finds you calm or desperate. Every day here becomes harder. There are moments of hope and great distress.”
“I am surrounded by family, your colleagues, acquaintances and friends, there is no moment that we do not pray for your rescue. Today has to be that day,” she wrote.
National apprehension
The sub’s disappearance has gripped the nation, and President Mauricio Macri visited the relatives – who have endured days of false hopes – and prayed with them.
US President Donald Trump offered his support yesterday, tweeting: “May God be with them and the people of Argentina!”
Underwater sounds detected by two Argentine search ships were determined to originate from a sea creature, not the vessel.
Satellite signals were also determined to be false alarms.
“A light begins to shine, and then it goes out,” said Maria Morales, the mother of one of the missing sailors.
“There is a curtain of smoke, we don’t know anything,” said Elena Alfaro, whose brother is aboard the submarine.
It doesn’t make sense that so much time has passed without anyone knowing anything.
“The hours go by. We’re hoping for a miracle. I don’t want to bury my brother, I want him with me. I feel he’ll come back, but I am aware of time passing.”
Argentina is leading an air-and-sea search with help from several countries including Brazil, Britain, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, the United States and Uruguay.
The defence ministry said the search area could be expanded sevenfold, though it was already large.
Pain, helplessness, hope
The incident has recalled recent submarine disasters, perhaps most prominently that of the Kursk, a Russian nuclear sub that caught fire and exploded underwater in 2000, killing all 118 on board – some instantly, others over several days.
An accident aboard a Chinese sub in 2003 killed 70 crew, apparently suffocated after what Beijing termed “mechanical problems”.
Among the ARA San Juan’s crew is Argentina’s first female navy submariner: Eliana Krawczyk (35).
Cards, banners with slogans and placards have been strung up on the outside of the Mar del Plata base’s wire fence, expressing solidarity with the families tensely waiting for any news.
“There’s a mix of feelings: pain, helplessness, at times hope,” Morales said.
“The feeling is that they will come back, that we will tell ourselves today, ‘They are back.’”
© – AFP, 2017 with reporting by Associated Press
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Just do it Journal, change your name already – we all know you want to! I have a few suggestions, if I may… ‘The Climate Journal’, ‘The Daily Weather Journal’ or … how about ‘The Global Weather Report’? … maybe that’s a bit… square? … How about something a bit more quirky maybe? Like… ‘What’s the Weather Like… ALL AROUND THE WORLD?’ … nah, maybe that’s a bit long, and not really THAT quirky I suppose… maybe… I’ve got it! ‘The Weather Journal – “Your source for global, Hourly Weather Reports from Every Corner of The Earth, non-Stop – … wait for it … come Rain or come Shine!” … that’s not bad?? … a BIT long maybe, but there’s no ambiguity – it’s accurate, which is important. Oh! One more: ‘The Climate Journal – Global Weather Reports – wait for it – to the Nth DEGREE’ – that’s not bad?? I got the old ‘degree’ in there!? Clever? I’ll leave it up to yourselves of course, just thought I’d throw those out there… YOU ARE WELCOME!
@Quite Frank: Or maybe the Quite Frank journal! Just throwing it out there.
@Quite Frank: they report extreme weather events as do most reputable news. Maybe stick to GB News or Gript you’re probably more its audience.
@Quite Frank: And yet you’re here, for some reason. Masochism?
@Brendan O’Brien: The exact same reason you’re here Brendan, because we have opinions.
@eoin fitzpatrick: The Journal is for everyone compadre, not just those you agree with.
@Quite Frank: exactly. That is why there are articles on climate change as well as lots of other articles on different subjects. You can read or not read what you wish as well as comment. You appear to be breaking your own tenet and wanting less articles on subjects you don’t agree with. Out of interest. Did you read the article?
Climate change deniers, please explain and tell us what’s going on?
@Emmet Murphy: oh my god, a typhoon is man made climate change now. The stupidity is truly amazing. You wouldn’t be interested in buying a bridge, Emmet – by any chance?
@Emmet Murphy: Didn’t you read the article? It’s a typhoon.
@Emmet Murphy: yes it’s roasting in the south of Europe, its raining in ireland and at the moment there’s a Typhoon in Asia, looks pretty normal to me .
@Dermot Fennelly: There is nothing normal about current weather patterns. By any measure. Look at all the data objectively and together. Extreme weather events are going to become much more common and prolonged and summer seasons are going to really stretch our services and resources to the limit. There’s nothing normal about the scale of pollution and habitat destruction driving this which is staggeringly big.
Hope Haiphong will be alright. Da Nang usually gets the typhoons or the floods but even so its a costly set of repairs each time.
Quite frankly,
You need to chill.
Friend who had experince of Aisa laughed at Irish rain. After 5 days or drizzel, she started going mad ..
have your say