Indonesia’s military said it is seeking assistance from Australia, Singapore and India after a navy submarine with 53 people aboard disappeared north of the resort island of Bali on Wednesday.
 
“It is true that the KRI Nanggala-402 lost contact since early this morning around 3 a.m.,” said First Admiral Julius Widjojono.
 
Authorities said contact was lost with the vessel during training exercises.
 
The vessel, which has been in use since 1981, was rehearsing for a missile-firing exercise scheduled for Thursday.
 
The German-built sub vanished about 95 kilometers north of the holiday Island.
 
In response, the navy employed warships and a helicopter to augment its search party.
 
Searchers spotted an oil slick near where the submarine was expected to report its location.
 
Indonesian media reported that the navy believes the submarine sank into a trough at a depth of 700 meters, according to the Associated Press.
 
The 1,300- ton naval vessel had onboard 49 crew members, three gunners and a commander whose identities have not been released.
 
Indonesia, a Southeast Asian country, has been improving its military infrastructure in recent years. It has a fleet of five submarines hoping to increase that number by three by 2024.   
 
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