The wreckage of an Argentine navy submarine which exploded and disappeared one year ago with 44 crew on board has been found in the Atlantic Ocean.
There has been "positive identification of the ARA San Juan," 800 meters deep by the Ocean Infinity, a statement from the Argentinian navy said, referring to a US company involved in the search.
The navy said a remote-operated submersible from the American ship Ocean Infinity, which was hired for the latest search for the missing vessel, had made the discovery.
The San Juan was returning to its base in the coastal city of Mar del Plata when authorities lost contact.
Argentina gave up hope of finding survivors after a fruitless search, but the navy has continued to hunt for the sunken sub.
Searcher were eventually called off the hunt for the missing sub. Source: AP
The German-built diesel-electric TR-1700-class submarine was commissioned in the mid-1980s and was most refitted between 2008 and 2014.
During the $12 million retrofitting, the vessel was cut in half and had its engines and batteries replaced.
Experts told AP that refits can be difficult because they “involve integrating systems produced by different manufacturers”, and even the tiniest mistake during the cutting phase can put the safety of the ship and crew at risk.
Argentinian President Mauricio Macri attends a tribute a year after the disappearance of the Argentinian submarine ARA San Juan. Source: EPA
The discovery was announced just two days after families of the missing sailors held a commemoration one year after the sub disappeared on November 15, 2017.
President Mauricio Macri told the families of the submariners they should not feel alone and delivered an “absolute and non-negotiable commitment” to find “the truth.”
He promised a full investigation after the submarine was lost. Federal police raided naval bases and other buildings last January as part of the probe.
